#and i got angry at mother for talking nonsense (she was just discussing things) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sturchling · 3 years ago

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I loved the Avengers story you wrote!! I hope it's not too much to ask for another so soon, but I had this idea. What if Peter goes on a trip with Tony to France while he does some work, but on the condition that he has to go to school. So he goes to Dupont. He ends up in Bustier's class as a temporary student, not mentioning he's there with Tony Stark, but mentions he's from NYC. Lila takes that as a cue to start lying about knowing Tony Stark. Peter is not amused. Nor is Tony. Who sues her.

Sorry this took so long! Got so busy out of no where and then the rainy season started! But here you go! Hope you like it!

Peter was very excited today. Mr. Stark was going to Paris for some business for the next several weeks and Peter had convinced Mr. Stark to let him come too. Peter had never been to France and had always really wanted to go. He spent days convincing Mr. Stark, telling him that it would be a good educational opportunity to learn about France and to practice his French. Of course, Tony had always intended on Peter coming with him, not that he ever would tell the kid that. Tony had found Peter's attempts at convincing him pretty funny actually. Tony 'relented' and said Peter could come, on the condition that he attend a school while they are there, since they would be there for several weeks. Peter eagerly agreed and the pair started looking into potential schools for Peter.

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The two wanted to make sure that they choose a school with an excellent curriculum and was a fantastic school for peter. After a while, they found one school that looked particularly promising. Francois Dupont. All the students seemed to excel in their studies and the school had classes for several diverse interests. Peter was especially interested in Mrs. Mendeleiev, seeing as she is the science teacher. Once they had decided on this school, Tony started filing paperwork to temporarily transfer Peter to this school. Peter was soon accepted to Francois Dupont and got his class assignment. He had been placed in Mrs. Bustier's class. Soon, Tony and Peter were ready to leave for Paris and were on the way to the airport.

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Peter had arrived early at Francois Dupont for his first day at the school. He was now sitting in the principal's, Mr. Damocles' office, and the principal was going over some of the rules for the school. After a while, the door opened behind Peter and a smaller girl with dark hair walked in. "Ah, Peter, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the class rep for Mrs. Bustier's class. Miss Dupain-Cheng, thank you for coming. This is Peter Parker. He has temporarily transferred into your class and as class rep, I would like you to show him around the school." The girl, Marinette, smiled at Peter. "Of course Mr. Damocles. It is nice to meet you Peter! Lets go, I'll show you around." Peter got his bag and followed after Marinette, glad to be free of the rambling principal.

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Marinette did a fantastic job of showing Peter the school and telling him about the members of the class. Peter had been given a class roster when he arrived, with the names of his new classmates. While Marinette had spoken highly of almost the entire class, she had clearly avoided talking about one student in particular. All Marinette had said about Lila Rossi was that she was a transfer student from Italy. That is it. She had gone on and on about all the other students and their interests and achievements. But she was obviously avoiding discussing Lila, and that didn't escape Peter's notice. He did wonder why Marinette didn't talk about her, and was a bit hesitant about this Lila. If a nice girl like Marinette won't talk about her, maybe this Lila wasn't too nice herself. Peter didn't want to judge her without meeting her, but he would be careful when he did.

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Peter was sitting in the classroom now. Marinette and he were sitting on a bench towards the back of the room. He really liked Marinette and the two quickly became friends, talking about random things and Peter told her all about New York. The classroom was still mostly empty with only a few other students there. The students that were there had already come to talk to him and welcome him to the class. Then he felt Marinette stiffen next to him. Peter looked over and saw her staring at the door. When he glanced over, he saw a girl had just walked in. This girl had long brown hair in three different ponytails, one at the back and two at the front. She seemed very confident and as soon as she walked in, practically the whole class gathered around her. This girl must be Lila, based on Marinette's reaction. Lila focused in on Peter almost instantly. As she approached his desk with a fake smile on her face, Peter started to understand why Marinette may not like this girl.

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Lila noticed the new boy immediately when she walked in the room. He was reasonably handsome, and he was a new person to trick. So he had Lila's undivided attention. She was sure she could have him under her spell by lunch. She walked over to the desk he was sitting at, next to little miss goody two shoes Marinette, with her most dazzling smile. "Hi, my name is Lila. Who are you?" Peter smiled tightly at Lila, trying not to judge her based on that very fake smile of hers. "My name is Peter Parker. I have transferred here temporarily from New York." Lila didn't let her smile fail her. But him only being here temporarily is hardly worth the effort on her part. After all, he would leave eventually, and then she couldn't use him in any way. But he could be good practice for her lies anyway. Besides, she has plenty of lies that should work for a New Yorker. Lila prepared for her next performance, not realizing it was the first step in her downfall.

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"You are from New York? I love New York! I visit there from time to time when my mother's work brings her there. I have a lot of friends there. I even know Tony Stark." That made Peter pause. She knew Mr. Stark? He had never mentioned a Lila or knowing anyone in Paris. It was clear to Peter that this girl was nothing but a liar. He wanted to see how far she would go with this story, and he was sure Mr. Stark would want to know as well. "You know Tony Stark? Really?" Lila saw that Peter was interested so she grabbed on to this story and continued. "Yeah! He is so sweet. He thinks of me like a daughter and sometimes I even get to stay at Stark Tower with him. I've helped him work out some of the problems with a few of his inventions. I've even given some input into his latest Iron Man suit design. There was even this one time that I helped him catch some criminals when he was acting as Iron Man. It was super cool! I could probably introduce you to him sometime if you like?" Peter was genuinely shocked by all the lies this girl just told. There was no way she actually knew Mr. Stark. Mr. Stark would never need her help with his inventions or the Iron Man suit. And he certainly wouldn't involve a random civilian girl in his fights as Iron Man. Peter just nodded and mumbled a thank you, before the class mercifully started and he was left alone. Marinette leaned over and apologized about Lila, but Peter was too busy thinking about what to do to say anything.

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At the end of the day, Peter went back to the hotel he and Mr. Stark are staying and went straight to Mr. Stark's room. Peter had spoken with Marinette about the liar and asked about everything that she had lied about. He told Mr. Stark everything that happened with the liar, and everything she had said about him. Mr. Stark was angry that this random girl was trying to use him for gain. Tony didn't tolerate this kind of thing at all. If this girl wanted to lie about him, she would find out why that is a bad idea. Tony got on the phone and started speaking to his lawyer. This Lila would regret the day she lied about him.

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The next day, Peter was sitting in class waiting for the chaos to start. He knew that Mr. Stark was coming, and that he was going to take down the liar. The liar in question was holding court down at the front of the room. She was slightly disappointed that her lies didn't seem to work too well on Peter, but it hardly mattered since he would leave eventually. He just better not try to reveal her or she would make his life difficult for the whole time he is here. About half way through the class, the door to the room slammed open, and in walked Tony Stark. He walked straight to the center of the class, and his lawyers followed, surrounding him. Peter suppressed a smile, Mr. Stark was fond of his grand entrances.

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Tony looked around at the class, before zeroing in on the girl that Peter had described to him. He took off his glasses, while the class just stared at him stunned. "Lila Rossi, I have heard you have been telling lies about me. What is this nonsense I heard about you helping me with my inventions and suit? I have never met you in my life, and I certainly wouldn't need your help with my work. And you said that I put you in harms way and had you help me with my work as Iron Man. I do not tolerate slander." Tony snaps his fingers, and one of his lawyers drops a thick stack of papers on the desk in front of the liar. The liar stares at the papers in front of her, not even able to understand what is happening. "What is this?" Tony smirked at the young liar. "That is a lawsuit for slander. And before you try to hide this from your mother, because I know you have a habit of keeping things from her, you should know I have already spoken to her and sent a copy of the paperwork to your home. Maybe you will think twice before you try to lie about me again."

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At this point, Lila gave up trying to hide that she was a liar. That was clearly a lost cause. She had just been revealed in front of the whole class. And she was angry. "How did you find out about me?! I only just said that stuff yesterday! It was Marinette wasn't it?! She has been trying to reveal me for ages, it has to be her! But how did she get in touch with you?!" Tony's smirk only grew. "Actually, I don't know a Marinette. You really should be more careful who you lie too. Isn't that right Peter?" In less than a second, every head snapped around to stare at Peter. Peter took his turn to smile. "That's right Mr. Stark. You never know who someone might know." The whole class looked back and forth between the two, before Lila yelled, "YOU TWO KNOW EACH OTHER?! How could you know Mr. Stark!? You don't seem very important." Tony walked past Lila, and up the stairs towards Peter as he speaks. "Actually, Peter is part of the Stark Industries intern program. He actually does help me in my lab, he is very smart." The whole class was shocked by this revelation. Tony turned to face Peter and Marinette again. "You know Peter, I think we should go get some lunch somewhere. And are you Marinette? Peter told me about you. Why don't you join us." Marinette quickly agreed, still a little shocked that Tony Stark was standing in front of her and had invited her to lunch. The small group left, and the class erupted into chaos. They all turned on Lila demanding answers, asking if she had been lying the entire time. Meanwhile Lila just sat in horrified silence. Everything was over. She had been revealed. She was in so much trouble. She was being sued. And all because she lied about Tony Stark to Peter Parker, the exact worst person to lie to.

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tomatograter · 4 years ago

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What are your Thots on jake’s pq route?

I already wrote some about it in this post where I discuss the problem with taking dirkjake as a literal parallel to tavris (Mainly, that it’s inaccurate to both situations and misrepresents the dynamics at play) but it’s been long enough since release that I feel like I can talk about it without that criticism being taken as a personal witch hunt. TL;DR: As a general rule of thumb I don’t cite Jake’s PQ as part of his characterization, and I think basing your Jakewriting on it will only lead you astray.

I liked a lot of the Pesterquest routes and the alphas were among some of my favorites, but I think when you play the four of them in sequence Jake’s really... stands as the odd one out. It’s almost as if he’s afforded way less sympathy from the get go for some indiscernible reason, or like MSPAR took a day to say ‘I can’t stand this kid in particular’ after dealing with waaaaaaaay more mindboggling troll customs or stupid dangerous situations that tested their patience and their limits. When it comes down to it, it’s mostly an issue of framing.

Let’s go with the “Just the Alpha routes” example, because I think that makes the overall context clearer and the response/reactions it gathered (or the lack thereof) easier to understand. The alpha kids were the last 4 Pesterquest episodes. They were also afforded entire volumes just for themselves, which cemented our expectations on “oh, they’re going to really dig into unexplored territory!” and for the most part, that’s what we got! It was really nice to see the internal mechanics of Jane as someone raised within a corporate echochamber, Roxy as a grieving, isolated kid, deprived of all human contact, and Dirk as a nerdy doomsday prepper haunted by private flashes of himself as a supervillain. It all works! Those are things the alpha kids were dealing with on the background of the broader Homestuck story, things we were only hinted at as the *larger* problems played out. It makes you understand their point of view. Except on Jake's route, where nothing about his life seems to be relevant at all?

With Jane we get discussions about HIC and her family, with Roxy beautiful passages about a mother they never met and growing up alone— Same for Dirk, who gets a whole brother zapped from an alternate timeline. But on Jake's route there's not even an expansive dialogue path dedicated to Grandma English, Skaianet, the rebellion, or the giant red ship that came and murdered her in the night and then bombed his house, leaving him trapped inside his only surviving tower. No understanding passage realizing that this kid has had to fend for himself in an island full of Actual Giant Alien Monsters trying to eat him alive, or that he cremated his guardian specifically to avoid attracting predators to the scent of fresh blood drying on her mutilated corpse at the age of an actual toddler. The text refuses to dig into any of the psychological implications or impact an environment like this could have on a kid, which is even weirder when you consider MSPAR has met and helped Vriska get out of a similar situation. The whole thing with Jane in the previous volume has just happened, even, while Jake's particularities go unremarked. He was just supposed to deal with it. And that's because a choice was made to portray all of Jake's problems in this route as sort of... single handedly Dirk's fault? Something he should have Just Dealt with?

There's not even a hint that Jake knows Hal exists. Which is important! Jake can pick out Hal from Dirk based on *verbal cues*, and the fact that he considers Hal a barrier between him and his "real friend" getting to communicate with one another is a whole point of contention (and even comedy) in the story proper. Instead of examining Jake's isolation, or grief, or how he literally locks himself in his room and plasters it with cinematic posters to pretend he's just the main lead of a wacky adventure movie in the face of the immense shitshow outside, we get brobot acting nonsensically and threatening to break into Jake's room to beat him up.

A general reminder on brobot: He was programmed to scout the jungle and deal with predators so Jake could a) Be allowed to safely leave his room (something he simply didn't do before age 13 out of sheer terror, and we know this because dirk and jake talk about it on his birthday conversation, when he first gets brobot) and

b) Learn how to defend himself in the case of a surprise attack, with different combat settings adjusted to his level. The brobot has a novice mode Jake feels patronized by, but pushes him up levels quickly enough. In Homestuck proper, the brobot only enters "stalking mode" after Hal gets pissy with Jake for finding him out, and forcefully switches the setting on to make Jake work for the Uranium inside it. When you take Hal out of the picture, this plotline makes no sense! Jake's route is set way before the Alphas even think of entering the game, so this particular event hasn't even happened. Jake goes on to text Roxy and she turns the stalking setting off remotely anyways, so even if brobot was programmed to murder Jake in his sleep, or jump him inside the safe zone of his room (he's not) he has literally no reason to be acting like that when he's been set to Baby Buff Up Mode.

(Brobot does end up spontaneously pulling himself apart to give Jake his reward after this)

Which brings me to my other problem with the general framing of this volume; the alpha kids don't feel present in Jake's life as friends at all. It's all "romantic options" and "shipping discourse" and MSPAR making these silly logic jumps to justify insisting on this line of query, and all it does is completely flatten out anything of interest having to do with Jake as a Person, to build up an image of Dirk as being suspicious and shady for his volume and more or less come to the conclusion that Jake sucks because he just Cant Choose Who To Date Between All His Friends! And that's why jake is just like tavros… and dirk is just like vriska! Or something.

And just as a reminder, here's Jake talking with Roxy so I don't have to explain why that feels like a weird choice to me. (click to zoom)

And then there's the endings. On the vriska ending, MSPAR just ends up weirdly angry at jake for being such a piss baby and not getting that he's tavros and dirk is vriska so he had to… uh… take all his anger out on this 13 year old alien girl he has never met and teach her a lesson to prepare to do the same on dirk, or something. And on the other ending Jake mentions his pen pal, is zapped to meet jade, they have some non-committal greetings and then a cosplay party where Jake insists that he totally likes Lara croft not because she's a femme fatale and he relates to that, because he's never ever in his life thought of anyone being interested on him. Or Something. He likes Lara croft for normal reasons only. He wears really tiny shorts and does sexy poses because he's not aware at all of how other people find him attractive. He's just too dumb to get this, or the shipping thing, or that he's tavros and Dirk is vriska (who the hell are these people?).

Jake feels like an afterthought in the grand scope of events. Sidelined on his own episode. This volume is busy with rehashing age old fandom arguments that have little to do with his character, because said arguments were started and maintained by bored teens engrossed on fighting online instead of analyzing Homestuck; we introduce vriska for no interesting reason at all (thank god at least Jake has enough decency to say he's not into hitting on 13-year-olds, because that would have been particularly rancid.) And aside from catchphrases and old slang sprinkled liberally into his dialogue like a fog making machine, none of the motivation for the character is there. What does he want? What does he fear? Why does he act like the way he does? What would accommodating him look like? What would helping him look like? We get this on Jane's volume, Roxy's volume, and Dirk's volume. To really heart-wrenching and dramatic results, too. You get to know who they are, where they live, what they want, what they fear, what might help them get better, but Jake is just sort of There. He's a burden. MSPAR either ends this volume berating him for not doing what they want or finding him weird and confusing and like they don't know each other at all, and the fact both of those were marked as dubiously bad ends in the game files speaks for itself, I think.

#jake english #pesterquest #vriska serket #jane crocker #roxy lalonde #dirk strider #meta

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alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer · 3 years ago

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you're not living in this world alone

i wrote this in one sitting and i'm sorry i don't really know what the point is i was just frustrated lmao, the song title is from "enjoy your life" by marina which is what i'm manifesting for COT. i don't think there are any triggers beyond what you would expect: mentions of bullying and elias' shitty parenting

Fanfiction Masterlist | AO3

“And how would you know where Alastair was yesterday afternoon?” Matthew mused.

Thomas exhaled. The truth was a long time coming. “Because I was with him. Alastair and I are friends.”

“Friends? After everything he’s done? You can forgive him so easily?”

“It’s been years since school, Matthew. He’s grown and changed since then, just as you and I have. I have forgiven him, and I ask that you respect that, even if you choose not to.”

“Respect that? Thomas, how could I-” He moved closer and lowered his voice as if that would effectively prevent Cordelia from hearing him, despite her sitting mere feet away. “I don’t know what he said to you, but you don’t owe him anything just because he helped you with the whole serial killer business. Listen, Thomas, you’re very kind, and Alastair… Well, I know what type of person Alastair is, and he’s the kind that understands well how to take advantage of kindness. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Thomas could see Cordelia straining to stop herself from reacting. “You don’t know anything about him.”

“And you do?”

“I know more than you, continuing to reduce him to the horrible nonsense he said over four years ago.”

Matthew flinched. “Horrible nonsense? That’s what you’d call the things he said about my parents, about your parents, the things that made your mother cry?”

Thomas bit back involuntary tears. He knew how those words had hurt his family. His intention was never to reduce the gravity of them. “Don’t you dare use my own words against me! What about the things you said, Matthew?”

Matthew crossed his arms. “I have not a clue what you’re talking about. Whatever he told you were lies, I’m sure-”

“Did you forget that I was there that day? I’d nearly forgotten because it was so long ago, but I remember. I was trying to help Alastair because he was in a very bad way. Clive had just died. I know that the prank affected you, too, maybe even more so, but Alastair said that the prank wasn’t his idea, and I believe him. Clive was Alastair’s bully long before he was any of ours, and I don’t blame Alastair for fearing his own safety and going along with his stupid, dangerous plan. At the end of the day, it’s just not something you need to blame someone for. Alastair learned his lesson in the worst way possible. Someone died.

“I could tell that the other boys’ parents coming to the school in the aftermath of it all was upsetting him because he knew that Elias would never come to his rescue. You can jest all you’d like, Matthew, about how if he was your son, you wouldn’t care about him either, but it’s never going to be funny.”

A stillness fell on the room, a look of guilt creeping over James’ face, a look of panic having set in on Matthew’s shortly after Thomas began speaking. Cordelia stood up abruptly. “Excuse me?” She turned to Matthew. “Tell me that isn’t true.”

“Never to his face! It was just a joke. I didn’t mean it-”

“Is that supposed to make it better? All those times that you acted as if were some heroic feat for me to love him… Now I’m not sure if they were jokes or if you genuinely believe he’s less deserving of love than you or I. All this time my brother suffered in silence, he shielded me from it all so that I would never have to know what kind of person my father really was, he sacrificed his own well-being for mine, meanwhile… you all were here, making jokes about it.”

Thomas expected Cordelia to be angry, and she was, on some level. Her expression was haunted, however, her eyes holding even more guilt than Matthew’s. He realized, suddenly, what she must be thinking: How dare they discuss in passing something she never realized herself? How could Thomas and his friends see it so clearly when she could not? Thomas wanted to tell her that Alastair didn’t try to hide it from them, not in the way that he hid it from her, that he’s learned from his parents that in many cases you it’s more difficult to see the bad in those you love, your heart always searching for the good, but James began to speak instead.

“Daisy-” James started.

“No,” she interrupted. “I don’t want to hear it. Thomas, finish.”

“I- What?” he stammered, nearly forgetting how the conversation began. His heart was racing; he shouldn’t have said so much, he knew. It would only cause more pain. He simply needed all of this nonsense about Alastair to stop, and he did not know how besides telling the truth.

“What happened that day at the Academy,” she prompted.

“Right. He… he was in a bad way, because of Clive’s death and because of his father. He told me to leave him alone, but I didn’t because I thought that I could help. I… I thought that he shouldn’t be alone. Now I wish that I had gone, because Matthew went looking for me. He found me with Alastair and started insulting him. He made fun of his hair, which I know sounds silly, but it wasn’t, was it? That’s why he changed it,” Thomas realized as he spoke. “So that he would- so he wouldn’t look Persian. Matthew could tell that it bothered him so much, that’s why he continued to say it.”

Thomas sighed as he continued. Alastair should be the one saying all of this, but he would never, nor would Matthew ever hear it. “Matthew asked him if no one cared about him enough to tell him that he looked silly, not his friends or his father. He told him that the prank was entirely his fault, that it was his fault Clive was dead. And then Alastair asked me to leave. I assume that’s when Alastair said the things he did, and I’m assuming that’s where he got the bruise I saw on his face later.”

“And Matthew placed Alastair’s belongings in the wing that Christopher blew up,” James offered.

“Sorry,” Christopher chimed in, though no one was much concerned about him or his actions that day.

“What? Was I meant to not retaliate after he said those things to me?” Matthew’s eyes narrowed at them.

Thomas was exasperated. “Of course that’s not what I’m saying! I’m saying that you need to stop pretending like you haven’t said and done things to Alastair that were just as terrible as what he’s said to you!”

“Are you serious?” Matthew asked. He looked to James for a defense, but none came.

“This entire time you’ve acted as if the whole ordeal was one-sided,” Cordelia said. “Like you were just some child helpless against my brother’s cruel words, but that was never the case, was it?”

Matthew didn’t respond.

“I need some time to think,” she said finally, walking quickly out of the tavern without waiting for a response.

Matthew turned back to Thomas. “Is this how it’s going to be now?”

“What do you mean? Me, not letting you mercilessly take out your own problems on someone who’s been trying to make amends, someone who has been through far enough? I suppose so. It’s up to you, Matthew. As I said before, you don’t need to forgive him, but I have. You are my friend, but so is he. He doesn’t have a problem with that. Do you?”

Matthew finally resigned himself. “No,” he said quietly.

Thomas knew this was only the beginning. Cordelia was almost certainly on her way to confront her brother, and soon this would be an even larger discussion. There were apologies and amends that still needed to be made. Even more, Thomas knew that Matthew’s issues with Alastair ran deeper than his actual dislike for the man, but he knew that allowing him to continue to take his own guilt and self-hatred out on Alastair would only continue to make life more difficult for all of them. Both Alastair and Matthew deserved to be free of it. Once Matthew was free of this nonsense with Alastair, Thomas knew that the real work towards true freedom would begin. And once Alastair was free of it… Thomas could only hope for what would come next.

Thanks for reading! Tagging my usual suspects (lmk to be added/removed): @stxr-thxif @chaos-and-starlight @zosiaenrique @lifewouldbebetteronmars @littlx-songbxrd @dianasarrow @eugeniaslongsword @bookswitchcraftandcats @jamesherondaleofficial @thomas-gaypanic-lightwood @livingformyself @anarmorofwords @foxglove-airmid @writeforjordelia @sapphic-in @jem-nasium @fortheloveofthecarstairs

#thomas lightwood #cordelia carstairs #matthew crit tag #alastair carstairs #the last hours #tlh #fanfic #fanfiction

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hongnanglen-arina · 4 years ago

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The Ulzzang Project - Part 3 | Jeon Wonwoo

Read part 2 Read part 4

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Genre: a little fluff and angst, crack

Pairing: Jeon Wonwoo x female reader

Warnings: well, not too angsty I guess but I didn’t re-read.. oh and alcohol consuming

Words: 3.3k

A/N: Hello hello! Sorry for the rather long wait! I thought it could spice it up if someone else is thrown into the pot hehehe (: as always, I’d be happy to know your thoughts about it. Please remember that English isn’t my first language so excuse my grammar ♡

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You tapped the pencil against your chin. Working on a presentation wasn’t your thing and especially the beginning was the most stressful part, always. A brainstorming sketch was on a sheet of paper in front of you and between the person you were with. It was nice to work on it at a public place and you loved to have cafe sounds in the background. That’s why you suggested this cafe in the first place. You’ve already finished on a couple of presentations here and the vibe this cafe was giving you helped a lot. But you weren’t sure if it was the right decision today - for this presentation. You couldn’t hear the familiar sounds of people talking and relaxing with the coffee machine preparing the next order. All you could hear was whispering. Loud whispering. And you could feel the stares shooting holes in your body from every angle possible.

“We should write down some notes for the first part. Hasn’t be too much. Like in 20 minutes we compare our notes and decide what’s best?” You tried to ignore the glares you got, looking at the boy in front of you.

Yoon Jeonghan.

Actually you liked your professor but his idea to team you up with Jeonghan for this statistics project was stupid. All your prayers that he would change his mind or that Jeonghan would complain so much that you would get a different partner were useless. After he saw who you were, he even insisted doing it with you and you didn’t understand why.

So you just settled with the thought of doing it. Not that you had another option anyways.

But all those girls who were watching you two made you uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable.

Your project partner leaned back. “I’m fine if you start. I’m sure your pretty head is very useful for this.”

Somehow it didn’t surprise you. His attitude was exactly like you had assumed after everything you head… and also after seeing his Instagram. Was this boy really of no use? Tall and handsome but an asshole? Although you weren’t surprised, you still had some hope that not all good looking people were bad. Best example, your best friend Wonwoo.

The thought of Wonwoo caused you to sigh. Yesterday at this time, you were sitting outside on a bench with your friends. You could even see the place from where you were stuck with Jeonghan if you looked outside the window. After you discovered the new post with Wonwoo’s text, your break was over and everyone left for their next subject. Up until now you weren’t sure what he meant with it. It had to be a joke. Just something to gain more followers and likes. Something fitting for your fake couple page. But why did it make your heart skip a beat when you first saw it? You didn’t know what to say to your best friend or how to address the topic so you thought you would let him take the first step, which hadn’t happened. It made you angry for no reason.

You sighed again. This time louder.

“Are you mad at me?”

Jeonghan’s voice pulled you out of your thoughts. “What?”

“You didn’t react when I was talking to you so I got worried.”

Quickly lowering your gaze, you flipped around an empty page, readjusting the pencil in your hand. “Oh no no, don’t worry. Everything’s okay. I already have some ideas for our project. Just give me a moment.”

The person in front of you smiled widely at your reply, which you missed out on because you were already scribbling down while your brain was working and distracting itself from your male best friend.

“Oh great! I can leave then, yes? Thank you y/n. We can discuss our project later. Maybe tomorrow, same time same place?” He got up from his chair and was about to turn around with a ‘bye’ when you stood up as well, calling his name.

“Yoon Jeonghan, let me remind you. This is a group project. A group project is supposed to be done as a group. In a group. You may decide who will focus on which part but what you just said sounded as if you expect me to do everything alone. Please tell me I’m wrong.”

He turned around to face you again, the smile still on his lips. “I knew your pretty head was useful. You got it absolutely right. I’m looking forward to the outcome. See you tomorrow then, y/n!”

He really was an asshole.

“Stop you little shit!”

Suddenly it was quiet around you but you didn’t care. You were angry.

“The fact that I was writing and actually trying to be productive wasn’t a hint for you to stand up and go away. I want to do this because I have to. No matter if you’re my partner or someone else. Knowing you better shows me that I would probably be happier with someone else that’s not as ignorant and dumb as you. I really hoped you would prove me wrong but it’s just the looks that you have. Everything else is bad. Anyways, if you leave now, I will talk to our prof and tell him about it. I won’t do it with you if you let me work alone. I will give you one more chance or I’m the one that’s off. So?”

Jeonghan looked at you with wide eyes.

You were the first girl. The first that wasn’t following him. That wasn’t only agreeing to everything he said. The first girl that wasn’t head over heels for him.

You were different.

“So?” You repeated, slightly impatient. There were quite some places you would rather be right now than here with Yoon Jeonghan and is admires who were glaring at you for not treating him as the hottest and most wanted man on campus. Who came up with this nonsense anyways!?

“What.. do you… want me to do?” He finally asked you and the way he was standing in front of you seemed as if he was confused, scared even.

“The presentation. It has to be done. And for that, you and I will sit here and work on it.”

He slowly flops down on his chair again and for once you thought he looked cute but you quickly shook the thought off before sitting down again as well, taking your pencil again.

As you wanted to continue writing, you heard him clear his throat, causing you to look up from your paper. “What is it?”

“… can you give me a pen and paper?”

It took you a second until you gave him the things he asked you for. Maybe he had nothing to write. Whatever the reason, you felt great that you made the ‘holy’ Jeonghan work on the project. Maybe he wasn’t an asshole after all.

—

You sat on the floor, back resting against you bed as you took a sip of the new smoothie your mother made. There were too many ingredients, you could only remember it had apple, chia, spinach and banana in it.

Without noticing, your sleepy mind trailed from how you were working on your presentation with Jeonghan to the boy from your shared Instagram account. There was still no message on your phone from him. Did he just write it underneath the post without a meaning? Were you the only one who was trying to read between the lines to understand what he might wanted to say?

Absentmindedly you grabbed your phone to catch up with the things you missed while being with Jeonghan the whole day after your classes. After seeing again that there was no new message from Wonwoo in you chat app - only one from Chan, asking you if you had seen the new choreography video of a dance team you two liked - you changed the app and scrolled through your Instagram feed. Nothing interesting nor new. On Wonwoo’s personal page was no update. On your shared one was no update. Bored, you clicked the like button on a photo of Dokyeom and his selfmade pizza which looked amazing and a photo of Hoshi’s tiger plushie with the text ‘horanghae’.

Sighing, the thought of your friend still bothered you. It unusual for him to be this quiet all day. Maybe you should take the first step and just start a conversation? Casually? There was still a high possibility that he wrote the sentence without a meaning so why not say hi?

[Y/n] Hey, what’s up?

Was that casual enough?

2 Minutes passed. No response.

5 Minutes passed. Still no response.

“Why is he like this?!” You whined, letting yourself fall to the side so you were lying on the floor when your mother came into your room after knocking twice.

“Are you alright dear? Are you exhausted from uni? Or is my smoothie bad?? You can tell me honestly, I won’t get mad, I promise.”

You pouted and mouthed ‘uni’ and she nodded understandingly. “Rest then. You know, if you need anything, tell me. I can cook your favorite dish or prepare dessert. I can read you a book or cuddle you to sleep-“

“Mom!”

She laughed and waved apologetic. “Understand. My little girl isn’t so little anymore. Just call whenever you need me. I’ll be in the living room watching my drama.”

You thanked her and watched her leave your room.

Automatically you looked at your phone again, opening Instagram. While you were working on your presentation with Jeonghan, you two exchanged numbers and followed each other on the app. You had an actually nice conversation and got to know him a little better. He wasn’t so snobbish as you though he would be.

Your eyes were glued on Jeonghan’s update from 2 hours ago. It was a photo of you how you were concentrated on writing down your part from your project, two milkshakes in front of you. His had less while your own drink was almost full and untouched because you had a rush of ideas and decided to write them down before it disappeared. You didn’t know he took a photo. That’s when you saw the text he added to the photo.

Interesting. She might become a candidate (:

A candidate for what?? Cocking your head to the side, you wanted to know what he meant with it when your phone chimed, telling you about a new message. When you saw that it was from Wonwoo, your fingers tapped faster to read it.

[Wonwoo] Bored to death. You?

[Y/n] Same. Park in 30? Crave ice cream…

Maybe you replied too fast but you didn’t care. You were just happy he was talking to you even though you weren’t sure why you were worried he wouldn’t. There was no issue between the two of you or was it?

[Wonwoo] Deal. See ya

Although you were relieved he replied and even agreed to seeing you but something in you was still worried for some reason. But you couldn’t deny the little excitement in the back of your mind.

After finishing your smoothie and making your mother happy with it, you complimented her before leaving the apartment to meet up with Wonwoo. Even though it was dark outside, the fact that you were going to meet your childhood friend made your mother worry less. She knew that he was a good person and if something scary would occur, he would defend or help you first.

With the familiar cheers and wishes that ‘your mother would be overly happy if you two would finally get together as a couple’, you left your home and made your way to the little park. You wondered if Wonwoo was already there.

While you were walking, your thoughts traveled to everything that happened over the last few days.

Last weekend, when you decided to start your shared Instagram and act as an ulzzang couple just to see how many likes and followers you could get within a month. The seemingly normal texts under his posts that made your heart skip a beat. The way he babied you more than once which he had never done before. The overall vide he gave was different. You could still recognize your bestie but there was something that had changed but you weren’t able to tell why that was or what it caused.

Then to uni. Your presentation with the infamous Yoon Jeonghan who you disliked from the second you were introduced to him through your friends and their knowledge about him. He was too handsome that he just had to be arrogant and ignorant. It turned out that he is from the outside but strangely after you scolded him in front of everyone else in the cafe, he was very nice and cooperative all of a sudden. He even told you that he would work on the middle part and you could go through it tomorrow. You still didn’t fully believe him so you might prepare something in case it was all a lie. But you could do that tomorrow. Today your priority was Wonwoo.

When you arrived at the park, he wasn’t there. Maybe you were too happy and walked too fast?

Looking around and making sure that he really wasn’t around, you slowly made your way to the swing and sat down, slightly moving back and forth with your feet on the ground and hands around the chains on each side. You looked down when out of nowhere fear crept up your spine.

Oh your friends: the ‘what if’s’.

What if he was disappointed in you for whatever reason? Maybe for not texting him sooner? What if he was mad at you for not using your shared account? At least not as often as he did? What if he wasn’t happy about Jeonghan teaming up with you for the presentation? But then again, it wasn’t your decision. He couldn’t blame you.

You shook your head. Those questions should go away.

You knew why they have appeared.

Because you missed your best friend.

And combined with the fact that you felt his attitude was different over the last week just added to your pile of anxiety.

A soft tap on your shoulder caused you to snap out of your thoughts. Wonwoo was standing beside you with melon ice cream in his hands, offering you one.

“Heard you wanted ice cream?”

Immediately, you smiled at him, a warmth rushing through your body as you finally saw your friend again and him paying attention to you intensified the relieve.

“Thank you.”

You took one and started eating it while Wonwoo sat down on the other swing, both of you enjoying your ice cream in silence. The noises of your surroundings were kind of far away from you, looking for words to start a conversation.

Once you finished, you looked at the boy beside you, just to notice that he was looking at you too.

“I missed you,” you said in unison and the moment your brains progressed it, you two looked away sheepishly.

It was stupid, you had to admit. It only had been a little over 1 day that you haven’t seen your friend but because of the overall situation, you were were like this.

Again, you were looking for words to form a sentence and to distract yourself from the red cheeks. “W-what were you doing when I sent the message?”

His head turned back to you when he started to talk, “I was playing an online game but it wasn’t my day today. They always killed me with ease. Wherever I was hiding, whatever I thought was a good tactic, they found me and ended my sad life. Your message helped. What about you?”

“Did nothing. Well, complimenting my mother on her new smoothie?”

Suddenly Wonwoo was chuckling. “Sometimes I envy you for not living alone as I do.”

“You’re not alone. I’m literally always at your place.”

Your reply made Wonwoo sigh and you tried to figure out why he was feeling down all of a sudden, waiting for him to answer your silent question but he asked you something else, changing the topic.

“How is your presentation going?”

It took you by surprise but you decided to give him an honest answer, just being happy to have a topic to talk about.

“At first I hated Jeonghan but he’s okay. Really. After I got angry at him, he actually worked on it with me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he even volunteered to prepare the middle part. You know, the most important part of the whole thing. He also listened to me and-“

“You got angry at him?”

“U-uh… yeah. That dude wanted to leave me alone and don’t help with it. Can you imagine? He really thought he could get away with it. But not with me, ha!”

He chuckled again, seemingly approving your previous outburst of anger with the other.

While you were watching Wonwoo from the side and admiring his crunched laughter, you remembered his Instagram post and started chewing on the inside of your cheek.

Wonwoo didn’t notice your nervousness as he was shaking his head at the thought of you making a scene in front of his fanclub. He wished he would have seen it happening. Something told him that it wouldn’t be the only occasion for you to lose your temper with him and that he may see it the next time if he sticked to you more often.

“Wanna skip tomorrow’s morning lectures with me?”

The question left your lips faster than you could think and surprised you as well as him when you met Wonwoo’s expression, but his was quickly followed by a smirk.

“Do I smell a mario kart session with greasy food?”

“Yep.”

Hearing his amused snort made you happy for some reason and when he got up and held his hand out for you to grab and follow him, you did as he wordlessly asked and went to his place, hand in hand. Like you often did.

It seemed as if your anxiety was for nothing. He was the same when you arrived at his place, got out of your shoes and offered you a can of beer. He was the same when he asked you what you wanted to eat. He was even the same when he took the last bite of your dish without asking beforehand. And he was the same when he started a fight when he lost against you at mario kart 4 matches in a row. You felt as if it had been a decade since you laughed as much.

You made a mental note not to think too much again when it comes to your best friend.

After a while you two changed to more comfortable clothes as you opened your third can of beer, Wonwoo was on his fourth. That was exactly what you needed. Although it wasn’t the best decision but numbing your previous doubts and fears and enjoying the company of your bestie was the best right now.

“I love spending time with you y/n.”

Thanks to the alcohol in your system, you weren’t too shy to react to his words and felt kind of adventurous. “Thanks for the kind words but to be honest I expected to hear that you want to take your sexy photos now that I’m drunk.”

“Ha ha ah… you’re not completely wrong though.” Wonwoo readjusted his glasses and took a sip of his beer when you said, “Okay. let’s do this.” Your friend nearly choked on the alcohol but asked again what you just said, just in case he heard wrong.

“I said, let’s take those photos for our Instagram.”

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peachchanvidel · 3 years ago

Note

Hey! You mentioned you have headcanons about Kanto and Toph giving Lin The Talk. Would love to hear them if you're willing to share!

So, this could be a bit messy. Perhaps I can get some sort of order into it while writing. But probably not :"D

I also hope that some parts aren't too out of character (?) if that's possible. Honestly? I'm super nervous about this thing >< And I forgot like 90% of the dialogues I had in mind while writing this or just died in shame. And I probably adjusted so much, I'm not sure anymore what of my initial ideas is even left so things worked out.

The rough outline would be:

Toph is blunt (how could she not),

Kanto would love to avoid the whole thing, but knows he has to step in (and he isn't the type to ask others to step in instead *cough* Katara *cough*) and he will try to read guidebooks/scrolls on how to do this right, what if he missed something about the more girl-specific things? He also tries the flower and bee analogies but I'm not sure which insects to use here. (bumble fly? scorpion bee?)

Lin is too much her mother's child to be shocked and I hc her very curious: meaning she managed to read books about it (probably found Kanto's he didn't hide too well). She wants to know more, but some information is just nasty. And she isn't fond of having that conversation with her parents. Ewwww.

So she watches her parents struggle (and how much they struggle…) but she suffers, too:

"EWW, MOM, NO. That's disgusting! Don't make me imagine that?!''

"Why would anybody do that, sounds painful… wait, how big would that thing be…? What. HELL NO."

"DAD, WHAT… THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! I can never look at flowers again if you continue this!"

also "*hides her face because she isn't sure if she should cry, laugh or groan in despair*"

[L: "So all of this nonsense just to tell me how babies are made. And that it's incredibly painful."

T: "Having them is painful, making them feels pretty good."

K: "Don't tell her that!"

T: "Just telling the truth." *shrugs* "She'll find out soon enough"

L: "…"

T: "And the baby making itself takes only a few minutes anyway."

L: "Mom, stop…"

T: "Listen, badgermole… you'll start to understand this when you fall in love. Or feel… needs. Sometimes you'll even just think somebody is kinda… hot?"

L: "...Can I go to my room, now…?"

K: *wants to leave as well*

T: "And we can't miss the chance to teach you before you do something you perhaps don't understand…"

L: "Just say 'No'..."]

and at some point decides to work on her interrogation skills (spoiler: they suck).

When the point of appropriate age and serious relationships come up Lin sees her chance, looks Kanto in the eye (it's no use with Toph after all) and deadpans: "Ah…! So I was planned?"

She knows she was born before her parents were even engaged, so why not imply why they couldn't keep their pants on until they were married.

Kanto is actually getting more serious now:

After a heavy sigh he tells her that he is aware, that she isn't too interested in that whole thing just yet, but that's why they talk now and not when it's 'too late'. And they try to teach it their own way and not just give her some scroll to learn from, so she knows she can come to them if something's up they haven't discussed yet. They want her to be prepared.

And yes, they weren't planning on having a child back then, but they were certainly old enough to handle it. So even if they weren't peak role models here considering what they are preaching right now, that's not really an issue and it's certainly not a reason to judge anybody or be smug about. And he hopes she isn't implying that they regret something here. At this point Lin actually feels sorry for overstepping and apologizes but even Toph was one step away from trying to mediate now.

Kanto continues that he wants to trust her, that he knows it will sometimes be difficult to resist, like it happened between him and Toph, but he hopes that she will know better in most cases and that she knows how far she can go and who she should trust and that a 'No' can sometimes be a very good test of character for the other party. (With every sentence he looks more worried and troubled and sounds less angry, but frustrated.)

But he still is her father and he will set certain boundaries while she is a minor, even if she feels ready, to keep her safe.

And no matter how old she is, he will always look out for her (and no matter how awful her judgement was in retrospect). And she can always come to them, and will always get their support.

Later he adds that 'as soon as it's necessary' Toph will have to see a healer with her so she learns about contraceptives and will be able to use them. And he will only get involved in that if she wants him to. And here he is so obviously uncomfortable with the whole situation and how his emotions got the better of him.

[Later when Lin is in her room again:

T: "Oh come on, Hotshot, do you want to protect her until she is 30?" *pats his back*

K: "YES..! … …. …. ~No. I know I can't..."

T: "She'll do fine… you did good. Speech was a bit long though."

K: "You could have helped a bit."

T: "Naah… and your flower metaphors were adorable. Very girly."

K: "And you sounded like an anatomy scroll! Or a pro-bending commentator."

T: *looks proud* We are a good team! You really needed to be balanced out at some points!

K: "...!" *pouts* *after all he wanted to weaken HER blows*

Then they both start laughing, because the whole thing was so damn awkward.

Lin shouting out of her room: "THAT WAS NOT FUNNY AT ALL!"]

If Lin has siblings they had to wait in their respective rooms during the whole ordeal and are very confused what they have missed. "Lin, what did you talk about! I want to know, too" "No, you really don't..." "Are you in trouble?" "No...?" "Hmm... MOOOOOM...! Did Lin do smth bad?" (Oh well, they love each other, but also drive each other nuts lol)

#kantoph #ask #stitch1830 #metalfamily

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thestraggletag · 4 years ago

Text

Three Appointments and a Wedding

AN: Hi, @magicalgiven it is I, your Secret Santa! If I’m not mistaken we are both Argentinians in which case commiserate with me over the fucking hot weather we’ve been having. Because it fucking sucks. It was a pleasure to be your Santa, and I’m sorry this fic didn’t get smutty. I tried to add as much spice at the end as I could. It was challenging but fun because the accidental engagement prompt has been done a lot in the fandom so it was nice to try and put my spin on things. I hope you like it!

Prompt: Accidental engagement and consequences.

Summary: Mr Gold would do anything to help his only son plan his wedding, even if it is getting mistaked for the groom over and over as his crush gets mistaken for the bride. Over and over.

Rating: PG-13

He reminded himself that Bae had been clear about his distaste for a big wedding, and Emma as well. As far as they both were concerned they were better off with a simple civil ceremony and a honeymoon in Florida. But Emma’s parents insisted that their only child, their little princess, marry in style, so something grander was decided upon. He had to admit he hadn’t put up much of a fight. He did not have a lot in common with the Nolans- no matter how much David insisted on treating him like best mates whenever they met- but he did agree with them on the wedding. Bae was his only son and he wished to make a fuss about his wedding as well.

So he couldn’t really say no when Bae called to ask him to please take his place at a catering appointment in Portland. He had been summoned to a surprised meeting with a client that was a rather big to-do at his job. He did something related to web design that he couldn’t for the life of him understand, but it allowed him to work from home most of the time and stay in Storybrooke, so he was glad to be of assistance if he needed it.

He arrived at the catering business with a bit of time to spare, introducing himself and letting the person checking the appointment know he was waiting for someone. Not Miss Swan, because apparently she also had urgent business that could not be delayed- she did work in law enforcement, so there was a small chance she wasn’t lying to get out of “boring wedding stuff” as she kept calling it right in front of her mother and likely to annoy her. He had been told she would send Miss Lucas as a replacement, since she knew her way around a menu. He did not look forward to it, though perhaps he could amuse himself with trying to figure out how to raise the subject of the diner’s rent being due next week over talk of canapes.

“Mr Gold, you got here before me!”

He turned around, a part of him recognising instantly that charming Australian lilt. He looked slightly down to find Miss Belle French, the town’s librarian as of three years. She was dressed, as always, rather charmingly, and looked less out of place in the city than in their small town.

“I hope you haven’t been waiting long. The original plan was for Ruby to fill in for Emma, but Granny’s arthritis started acting up so she had to stay and help at the diner. Oh, please don’t tell Granny I told you that or she’ll never forgive me.”

He recalled she was an old friend of Miss Swan’s, from before she came back to Storybrooke, back when she was living in New York as a bit of a rebellion against her parents, doing bounty hunting work of all things. They had been roommates while Miss French went to NYU for her master’s in Library Science and worked at an antique bookstore. He knew only because he knew the bookstore and thought it smart to hold onto that piece of information. Book restoration and re-binding wasn’t his specialty, so it was nice to know of someone he could consult with if the need ever arose.

“Your secret’s safe with me, Miss French. I will even abstain of using the information against Granny the next time she tries to overcharge me for coffee. I hope you understand what a sacrifice that is.”

She laughed and he tried to pretend he didn’t feel overly smug about it, turning instead to open the door for her.

“Oh, Mr Gold, I see your fianceé is here! Lovely to meet the future Mrs Gold.”

He fumbled, his brain too caught up in what had just been said to register the small step on his way. He righted himself just as Miss French stammered a surprised denial.

“Oh, right, I apologise for assuming you would change your name after marriage, Miss Swan. Please, follow me.”

The man, a strongly-accented Frenchman, if his ears did not deceive him, swept past them and deeper into the shop, forcing them both to follow. The back was a rather nice dining area, small but with lots of windows to let in natural light. It was right next to the kitchen, but it still felt private and quiet. They were ushered into a table already prepared for them and served a sample of entrées along with a card detailing the ingredients of each one.

“Well, I suppose it’s an obvious mistake to make, and it would be unkind to correct him, he’d be mortified. I hope you don’t mind playing the would-be groom for a day, Mr Gold. At least we get some nice food out of it.”

“It’ll make a nice change from Granny’s overpriced lasagna.”

She slapped him gently on the arm, trying to conceal her smile, and he was surprised at how nice the gesture felt. Not many people touched him, and less with that sort of uncomplicated ease. He was glad that Miss French felt comfortable around him.

“So, what type of food does Miss Swan enjoy?”

“You should really begin calling her Emma, you know. And me Belle, none of that Miss French nonsense. This is not some nineteenth century pretend engagement, you know. I hope we can consider ourselves a modern pretend couple.” Miss French- Belle- smiled at him over the rim of her water glass before taking a sip. “As for Emma, she likes bar food. If it was up to her we’d serve peanuts and fries for entrées and burgers as the main course. I understand her parents talked her out of it, so perhaps nothing very fancy, but tasteful at the same time.”

He had given up on the day that morning, thinking it would be spent trying to make awkward conversation with a confrontational Miss Lucas, glaring daggers at him from across a rather small table because he dared charge rent for the property her grandmother rented from him. Instead he found himself discussing food and wine with someone he was infinitely more fond of and could not even muster enough grumpiness later in the evening to snark at Bae when he called later at night to thank him for subbing for him.

“It’ll be the last time, pops, I swear.”

The week after the catering appointment Bae called him in a panic to beg him to go for him to the florist appointment, also in Portland. He swallowed a few choice words learned in his youth in Glasgow, closed his shop and drove to the address Bae texted him. He was somewhat less surprised than before to find Miss French there, sitting on a bench outside the shop and reading a book. Something niggled at the back of his head but when he greeted her and they got to explain their presence he realised it made a bit more sense. Miss Swan’s job was a bit emergency-heavy and Miss French was the daughter of a florist, so it made sense to send her as a replacement.

She knew her stuff, as he could tell almost as soon as they set foot into the shop, to the delight of the old, red-haired florist that handled their appointment. The librarian engaged her in a rather interesting discussion on the meaning of flowers and the importance of harmonious scents, something he had never considered before. They spent a rather lovely hour touring the greenhouse and browsing through the catalogues, with Miss French- “Honestly, Arran, it’s Belle, you agreed!”- making a game out of it, picking something and having him guess whether it was a choice for Miss Swan’s wedding or a reflection of personal taste. He learned from it that Belle liked blue as much as her outfits had already implied and that she loved hydrangeas, thought them elegant but soft.

“Too soft for Emma. She likes bold colours and is not fond of traditional flowers, so I was thinking perhaps something with bougainvilleas? They have such lovely deep pink colour, almost red. What do you think?”

It was a bit intoxicating, the smell of the flowers, the heat of the shop and Belle French talking about flowers with a passion that stirred something in him that had nothing to do with centerpieces or boutonnieres. It wasn’t until they were out of it, inhaling the crisp evening Portland air, that he realised the florist had mistaken them for the engaged couple as well, and neither of them had made any effort to correct her. Well, that would’ve been rude, he reasoned. No need to put the old woman in the spot.

The morning of the cake-tasting appointment he had woken up with the knowledge that he was likely to get a “surprise” call from Bae begging him to “fill in” for him at the cake shop, and he could not even bring himself to feel angry about it. The wedding was, after all, a rather rushed affair, seeing as to how it was not what either the bride or groom had planned for, so allowances had to be made for the couple. That or they both were trying to punish their parents for pushing on them a grander event than the one they had wanted in the first place.

On his way out of town he passed by the library, insisting he would drive Miss French who was, surprisingly, filling in for Miss Swan again. She didn’t seem to mind yet another disruption into her schedule.

“I love Storybrooke, but I don’t mind admitting that it’s nice to go out to a big city every now and then.”

The bakery that would make the cake- one of the few that would accommodate the short notice of the order placement- was located in Bangor, which seemed to merge big-city vibes with small-town charm. The bakery itself was lovely, with a white and beige storefront and a myriad of colourful treats on display. It smelled strongly of vanilla and chocolate inside, and there was a dreamy, romantic sort of quality to the decoration. They were ushered into a warm, cosy room where they spent the next hour and a half tasting different cakes, one better than the next.

“Emma is a bit chocolate obsessed, so I’m leaning towards the chocolate champagne one. It was delicious.”

He tried not to replay in his mind the way she had moaned at the first taste of that one, eyes closing in absolute bliss.

“I still can’t believe that little urchin had me fill in for him again, so I’m not even considering his tastes. My vote is for the strawberry shortcake.”

Belle frowned, idly liking some frosting from her fork. His left hand tightened around the napkin on his lap.

“Isn’t Bae allergic to strawberries?”

“Exactly.”

The librarian laughed, which he was rather surprised by. Very few shared his rather dark sense of humour, most found the content and his delivery of it rather off-putting. He tried not to preen at the idea.

“Might want to hold on in killing him until after the wedding. After all, we have invested quite a few hours into the preparation already. Feels more like our wedding, in a way.”

He choked on a rather lovely piece of red velvet cheesecake, fumbling for his glass of water to try and wash it down. He realised the danger he was in, all of a sudden, perhaps too late. His crush had been safe when he had not had much of a chance to interact with the librarian and get to know her. But spending entire days with her had changed things, giving his feelings depth that he did not entirely appreciate. His instinct of self-preservation was urging him to do something. Say something mean or cutting, or close himself off. Perhaps invent some business emergency and leave, letting Belle figure out on her own how to get back to town. If she was cross with him, if she hated him, if she decided to keep his distance, he would be safe.

But, surprisingly, he found that he was rather tired of feeling safe, and of pushing people away.

“You know, we didn’t do half-bad in the end, all things considered.”

He turned around, tearing his eyes away from his son and his new wife trying to waltz. He was sure someone was filming it, anyway, and he’d get to tease Bae about it later. Belle looked absolutely stunning in a Halston dress, an architectural number in navy blue with a champagne-coloured lining that peeped from the folds of the skirts and a bit of a train in the back, the hem landing above the knee at the front and below it at the back. It was a far cry from what most women were wearing, in particular the friends of the mother of the bride, but it was exactly what he had expected from her: bold, flirty, and the slightest bit of out place in a small town, without really seeming to realise. Her lips were a lovely deep, dark red and smiling wide. At him, of all people.

“Yes. The flowers do look splendid, Miss French. You have quite an eye for it.”

She hooked her arm through his, looking admonishingly up at him.

“It’s Belle. Unless you’ve decided I cannot call you Arran anymore.”

If he were stronger, he would politely insist on calling her Miss French, thus gently reestablishing their more formal dynamic. It would be safer, certainly. But he found himself unable to muster the energy for it. It was a happy day, and he was ecstatic as the father of the groom should be. Seemed like the occasion to do what he wanted and not necessarily what he thought was best. Indulge a bit.

“Belle, then. I rather like how you pronounce my name, seems a shame to make you stop.”

Her eyes widened, and so did her smile. He tried to remember how many glasses of champagne he had drunk, but could not recall. He had indulged there too, but that was only because he had been sitting next to David Nolan for dinner and he had kept trying to talk to him about sports. He had made the mistake of trying to discuss the UEFA Super Cup, but that had only led to ten minutes of David Nolan referring to football as soccer and displaying no understanding of the rules of the game.

“So, how’s the proud father? Was it all you hoped it would be?”

He looked around. The venue was lovely, a manor outside Storybrooke that was used exclusively for events like weddings and such, with extensive gardens and lovely, broad balconies. The Nolans had secured the place, seemed they knew the owner and had been able to pull some strings. It was decorated a bit like an enchanted forest, in shades of silver, gold and bold touches of bright pink and dark blue.

“Well, Bae remembered his lines and didn’t step on Miss Swan’s train at any point so the wedding has exceeded my wildest expectations.”

He glanced again towards his son, dancing something a bit more lively with Emma and looking infinitely more at ease doing so. They truly suited each other, and he was glad of that. Glad that Bae would know, hopefully, nothing but love in his family he meant to build for himself.

“It’s a lovely song. Would you care to dance?”

A tricky question, since the answer was both a resounding no and a desperate yes, but he merely pointed towards his cane as a way out. It seemed he was not the only one emboldened by drink, however, if Belle’s flashing eyes and red cheeks were anything to go by.

“Oh, come on, just some gentle swaying. We could go outside, if you don’t wish others to see. It’s a bit stuffy in here anyway.”

There was no way for him to deny her, nor did he wish to anymore. He let her lead him out, into one of the terrace-like balconies attached to the ballroom, and wrapped her arms around his neck, prompting his own to wrap around her waist. They soon fell into a slow, easy rhythm, lazy and yet strangely exhilarating. He felt loose and tightly-wound at the same time, and could not decide whether he liked the feeling or not.

“It really is a lovely wedding, by the way.”

“Yes, I think we did rather well, all things considered. Certainly more than what Bae deserved, taking into account how little he worked for it.”

She tugged on his hair, he assumed as a way to chastise him. It had rather the opposite result, sending a jolt of fizzy pleasure up and down his spine.

“You rather enjoyed it, admit it. And I did too. In a way it’s sad that the wedding has happened and our outings are at an end.”

She looked up at him from beneath her lashes, teeth worrying her lower lip the slightest bit. He got the feeling that there was something he was not seeing or sensing, some signal he was not quite deciphering. But it was getting rather difficult to think, with the champagne in his veins, and the feel of Belle in his arms and the way she smelt like orange blossom.

“You look lovely, by the way.” He realised he hadn’t told her, and it seemed like a major oversight. “Stunning, really. Gorgeous. Too good to be wasting your time out on the balcony with me.”

What the fuck was wrong with him? When had he lost complete control of his bleeding mouth?

“Don’t say that. I like spending time with you. A lot.” She bit her lip again and he wondered if his blood pressure could take it. “Actually, I was hoping we could spend more time together, if you wished it.”

There was no mistaking the flirty turn of her lips, or the coyness dancing in her eyes, even to an expert in self-denial such as him. He tried to form words to reply to her, something along the lines of “Yes, please” or “Is it tomorrow night too soon?” but his vocal cords were suddenly useless, and in a sudden panic that she would interpret his stupid silence for a rejection of her advances he leaned down, pressing his lips against hers. He felt her stiffen in his arms for a second, saw her eyes widen in surprise, but the next moment she was pressing back against him, tipping her head back to better capture his mouth with her own. She took absolute control with a quiet, fierce determination that he found incredibly erotic. He was happy to reciprocate, to tighten his arm around her waist and open his mouth to her, his left hand tightening around the handle of his cane with something that felt like petulant frustration at not being able to simply drop the damned thing hold her properly, perhaps delve a hand into her hair, feel if it was as soft as it always looked.

She seemed to read his mind, for she maneuvered them clumsily towards the rather tall balustrade. He eagerly leaned against it before dropping his cane in the nick of time to catch the librarian’s leg, which sought to wrap itself around his waist. Her obvious, undisguised want was disarming, making him forget himself in a way he had never allowed himself to-

“Papa, what the fuck?”

“Belle!”

Both him and Belle startled, with her regretfully taking a few steps away from him, leaving him to notice the chill in the air. When he glanced at the entrance of the balcony he saw his son and Miss Swan, looking radiant in her Vera Wang dress and also, bizarrely, quite smug.

“Hey, Bae, didn’t see you there.”

His accent barely made the words intelligible, but there was no helping that. He always lost control of his brogue when he was nervous.

“Clearly!” Bae sounded shrill, more child than man. Reminded him of the infamous temper-tantrums the lad had thrown once upon a time. “How could you? At my own wedding?!”

Fuck, he was right. He had been caught fucking making-out and almost doing God-knew-what just a few bloody steps away from his son’s wedding reception. What was the matter with him?

“I mean, why couldn’t you wait? I had almost won the bet!”

What?

“You only had to last until after the wedding! I was so close, pops! And you were doing so well!”

“Yes, yes, it’s all very sad. Now remember, Bae, you promised at least two dances with Regina’s sister. At least she’s unlikely to hit on you at your own wedding, so there’s that.”

Emma smiled up at her new husband, kissed his cheek, turned him around and directed him back towards the ballroom with a not-so-gentle smack in the ass. She smiled, gave Belle a thumbs up and an “atta girl” and walked out of the balcony, closing the French doors behind her.

“What the fuck was that?”

#rumbelle fic #rumbelle #magicalgiven #Rumbelle secret santa #RSS 2020 #rumbelle secret santa 2020

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itsyourchoice-hp · 4 years ago

Text

Year 2: Christmas at the Burrow

Cath climbed the steps to the Owlery, the snow crunching under her feet. There were only two weeks left in the term. In her hand she clutched a letter addressed to her parents, asking if she could spend some of the Christmas holidays at the Weasley’s house. Both Harry and Hermione were going to spend the full break there, and Ron had invited both Cath and Draco to join.

She knew that her parents would definitely say no to staying for the whole break, but Cath hoped that they would be in high spirits when they got her letter and allowed her to spend a few days. Although her parents didn’t talk too much about the Weasleys, she knew that her parents had differing opinions on them.

In general, her father was a part of circles made up of mostly wealthy, Pureblood witches and wizards. Though the Weasleys were a Pureblood family, Father had some strong opinions about Mr. Weasley’s fascination with Muggles and how he treated them as equal to himself. Truthfully, Cath didn’t know enough about Muggles to really form an opinion about them. She had never even met or talked to a Muggle before. Mother didn’t say much on the matter but didn’t seem to disapprove of Cath’s friendships with the Weasleys, or with Hermione, who was a Muggle-born witch.

When Cath opened the door to the Owlery, she saw Harry tying a letter to the claw of his snowy owl, Hedwig. He glanced over, and upon realizing it was Cath, waved. Hedwig hooted at him irritably.

“Alright, alright,” Harry said. He finished tying the letter and then let her take off, soaring out of one of the wide windows. “Hi, Cath.”

“Hello,” she replied, approaching one of the school owls, a small brown one with bright brown eyes. It pecked her finger lightly as she attached the letter to its leg.

“Is that the letter to your parents about Christmas break?” Harry asked.

Cath nodded. “I really hope the owl arrives when they’re in a good mood… especially Father. I hope they let me go…”

“Me too,” Harry replied.

“What are you doing?” Cath asked him.

“Sending a letter to my aunt and uncle that I’m not coming home for break,” Harry said. His face darkened. “Although I doubt they’ll really care.”

Cath felt sorry for Harry. As much as her parents could be difficult at times, at least she had parents who loved her and cared for her. She couldn’t believe the things Harry had said in passing over the year about his aunt and uncle, how he used to sleep in a broom cupboard, that often he would be punished and not be able to eat.

There was silence for a minute as they both left the Owlery and descended the stairs. Cath glanced out at the school grounds, watching the Dementors slowly patrolling. She got that dark feeling she got whenever they were near.

“I wish they’d go away,” Cath remarked.

Harry looked around at the Dementors and nodded in agreement. “Me too. I’m tired of passing out cold every time I’m around them. I don’t know why they affect me so much.”

“You aren’t the only one they affect,” Cath assured him. “I don’t know a single person who could look at one without feeling horrible and terrified.”

“I suppose,” said Harry.

They entered one of the towers, grateful to be indoors. Even the castle, usually cold, was a relief from the chill outside. To the right was the corridor leading towards the classrooms. To the left, the stairway that would take Cath towards the Common Room.

“I’ve got to go,” Harry said to her. “I’m meeting with Professor Lupin about an assignment.”

“Alright,” Cath said, noticing his wand in his back pocket as he turned and walked down the corridor.

Cath began descending the staircase, thinking about the letter she sent. She hated feeling like she was missing out on spending time with her friends during the breaks. Sometimes Cath felt as though she was caught between two worlds; her parents, and her life at Hogwarts.

The staircase beneath her gave a big creaking noise and began to move to another landing. Cath sighed in annoyance. It wouldn’t be too much of a detour, but now she was going to have to through the main floor where the Great Hall and offices were. When the staircase connected, she went down the last few steps and rounded the corner.

To her great surprise, her father was talking in a low voice with Professor Dumbledore, looking very angry. Cath stopped for a moment, partially concealed behind a giant stone statue, and tried to hear what they were saying.

“…endangering the students in such a way is completely unacceptable,” she could hear her father say in an icy cold voice.

“I understand your frustration, Lucius, but I assure you-“

“Frustration? I am not frustrated, Albus. I am livid that my son was injured because of an irresponsible decision made by a professor at this school. I simply will not tolerate this nonsense. I have already brought the issue to the board of governors.”

“I would be happy to sit down with the board and discuss the matter there. But, respectfully, I do not think this corridor is the most suitable place for this conversation,” Dumbledore said calmly.

Cath’s father sighed irritably. “I will send you an owl with the date and time of the meeting,” he said curtly.

“I will await your letter,” Dumbledore replied. “Good day, Lucius.”

Cath could hear Dumbledore’s footsteps coming toward her. Quickly trying to look nonchalant, Cath continued down the corridor.

“Ms. Malfoy! What a coincidence,” Professor Dumbledore said pleasantly as they passed.

“Cathryn,” her father said, still in the same place Dumbledore had just come from.

“What are you doing here?” Cath asked.

Upon closer look, he looked very stressed. As he put on his leather gloves and fastened the buttons on his emerald green winter cloak, he replied, “I’ve been trying to reach Dumbledore for weeks about what happened to Draco. Your mother and I were absolutely horrified to hear that he was so badly injured under the supervision of a professor.”

“He seems to be recovering well,” Cath said, trying to reassure him.

“Regardless, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” he replied. “Hippogriffs? In a Third Year class? Ridiculous. That idiot should be sacked, and his beast executed.”

Cath had to bite her tongue, horrified at what her father had just said. “Hagrid didn’t mean to.”

“Whose side are you taking in the matter?” Father snapped. Cath felt silenced, not knowing how to respond. Her Father sighed, knowing his tone had been a bit too harsh. “I’m afraid I have to leave. Your mother and I are very much looking forward to you and Draco coming home for Christmas.”

Cath thought about the letter she had just sent. Did she dare bring it up now? Or should she wait until he was home to receive it? One more look at him made up her mind. “Me too,” she replied.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze before turning in the direction of the entrance. Cath watched him leave, his cloak billowing behind him, and then turned around to get to the Common Room. When she arrived, she sighed in annoyance at the group of students waiting to enter. Sir Cadogan had no doubt changed the password on them again.

“Come on,” Dean Thomas groaned. “You can’t just let us in?”

“And put the noble house of Gryffindor in the face of danger?” Sir Cadogan asked incredulously. “Never. Now take out thy sword and fight me like a real knight!”

“We aren’t living in medieval times anymore!” Seamus exclaimed, exasperated.

“Last I checked it was Flibbertigibbet,” Cath offered, taking a step forward.

“We tried that already,” Pavarti Patil said, crossing her arms against her chest.

“Intruders! All of you,” Sir Cadogan waved his sword at them menacingly, as if he had forgotten he was just a portrait hanging on the wall of an old castle.

“You see us every day! You know we aren’t intruders,” Cath pointed out.

“What’s all the ruckus about?” Percy Weasley said from behind them. He pushed through to get to the front of the line.

“Sir Cadogan changed the password again,” Seamus explained to Percy.

Percy sighed in frustration. “Sir Cadogan,” he said as respectfully as he could. “We had this conversation last week with Professor Dumbledore-”

“Scoundrels! Dogs, all of you!” Sir Cadogan interrupted. “I can see none of you are fit for the task, nor are you brave enough to duel me. Now get back!”

Percy looked so angry a vein was beginning to pop out in his forehead. “I will not have you speak to me that way. I’m Head Boy! I demand you let these students into the Common Room at once.”

“Fine, I’ll let you in…” Sir Cadogan said with a smirk that gave the impression that he was not in fact going to let them in. “If you can tell me who defeated the Wyvern of Wye.”

There were a few exasperated sighs, and Cath worried that steam was going to start escaping Percy’s ears. She had never seen him so cross before; no doubt, he hated having his authority challenged.

“Does anyone know?” Seamus asked the group.

The others shook their heads dejectedly.

Cath suddenly had an idea. It was a long shot, but she might as well try. “Sir Cadogan,” she said, taking a step forward. Maybe if he recognized her from now on he’d let her in… “It was you of course.”

Sir Cadogan didn’t look so much disappointed as he was elated that someone recognized an achievement of his. “Aye, bonnie lass! It was I. It was a dark winter’s night, much like this one… The Wyvern of Wye-”

“Maybe another time,” Dean interrupted, looking expectantly at him.

Sir Cadogan finally gave in, swinging forward with a deep bow.

“Thank Merlin!” Seamus exclaimed.

“Thank goodness you came,” Parvati said gratefully. “I had no idea what he was even talking about.”

“I knew once a Head Boy arrived that he would stop with his ridiculous games,” Percy said from the back of the group. Everyone else ignored him.

“How did you know?” Dean asked.

Cath shrugged. “I just assumed he’d be talking about himself.” She had to admit, she was quite enjoying the attention. She even pretended to act modestly when Dean and Seamus told Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George what had happened.

“Brilliant,” he said to Cath, giving her a lopsided grin. “I never would have thought of that.”

“It’s in A Comprehensive History of the Knights of the Round Table: Fifth Edition,” Hermione said as if it were obvious.

“How could I have forgotten,” Fred said sarcastically. “It’s only my favourite book.”

“I wish I had been there to see Percy get put in his place,” Ginny said ruefully.

Fred and George stood up. “Well, we had best be off…” George said.

“What are the two of you up to?” Hermione asked.

“No good, of course,” Fred replied, winking at her. He had a large piece of very old-looking parchment sticking out of his back trouser pocket, thought Cath doubted that they were going to do any homework.

“Where’s Harry?” Ginny asked, closing her copy of Quidditch Through the Ages and setting it beside her on the couch.

“Meeting Professor Lupin,” Cath answered.

“Did he mention what he was doing with him?” Hermione asked inquisitively.

“Just meeting with him about an assignment,” she replied.

“Doesn’t sound like Harry…” Ron remarked. He was opening a package of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and held them out to the others.

Cath took a few in her hand and examined them. One was green with brown flecks, while the other was plain light blue. Deciding she had better go with the blue one, she popped it into her mouth and hesitantly bit down on it. Soap flavour. Certainly not the worst, considering there were flavours like earwax, sausage, and troll bogey.

A game of exploding snap started somewhere in the Common Room and Cath jumped up at the chance to play her favourite game. Ginny joined her and they sat down at one of the large study tables with a group of other students including Dean and Seamus and Colin Creevey and Alice Stone, both in their year.

***

The fall term was almost at a close, and Cath was still waiting for a reply from her parents about spending part of the Christmas break at the Weasleys’ house. It had been almost a week since she had sent her letter, and there were only five days left of school before the students were dismissed for two weeks.

It was a Sunday afternoon and the grounds were now completely covered in snow. There was not a single could in the sky that day, causing the white snow to sparkle and catch in the light. That morning Hermione and Ron had left for Hogsmeade, sent along with a list of things Cath, Ginny, and Harry wanted them to purchase for them.

Christmas time at Hogwarts was definitely one of Cath’s favourite times at school. In the girls’ dormitory was a huge window with a cushioned window seat. She and Ginny were curled up on it with a mug of hot chocolate, looking outside and soaking in the warmth of the sun.

Far down below Gryffindor tower, Cath could see Hagrid making his way from the edge of the forest toward the castle, dragging a pine tree in each hand through the snow. He left a long, snaking path behind him.

“Do you remember what happened to my brother in Hagrid’s class a while ago?” Cath asked Ginny, remembering the conversation she had had with her father when he was talking with Professor Dumbledore two weeks ago.

Ginny nodded, taking a sip of hot chocolate. “Has he recovered yet?” Cath could hear a trace of sarcasm in her voice.

“Oh, he’s fine,” Cath waved her hand dismissively. “The only thing is, my father was here a few weeks ago talking to Professor Dumbledore. I overheard them in the corridor. He was really upset about what happened and wanted to take some sort of action.”

“What kind of action?” Ginny asked, looking concerned.

Cath shrugged. “I’m not totally sure… he did mention wanting Hagrid to be fired though.”

“That’s not fair!” Ginny remarked. “It wasn’t Hagrid’s fault. Harry said Draco didn’t follow the instructions properly.”

“I know, I don’t think Hagrid is at fault either. I’m going to try my best to convince my father that it was just an accident,” Cath agreed with her before adding darkly, “Though I’m not sure I’ll have much luck, Draco being his favourite child and all.”

Ginny chuckled. “That can’t be true.”

“He doesn’t even try to hide it!”

“C’mon Cath, you don’t think your own father would actually pick a favourite child. He probably just gets on better with Draco because he’s a boy,” Ginny reasoned.

Cath sighed. “Maybe you’re right.” She blew gently on the surface of her hot chocolate before taking a sip, not wanting to burn her tongue. She licked whipped cream from the corners of her lips.

“Anyways, have you heard back from your parents about staying with us during the break?” Ginny asked, crossing her legs in front of her.

“Not yet,” Cath replied dejectedly. “If I don’t get anything back tomorrow, I’ll send another letter. I don’t see why they wouldn’t want me to go. Christmas at our house is so boring anyway.”

“They have to let you come,” Ginny said. “It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

After a while more of people watching and drinking hot chocolate, Ginny and Cath decided to wander down to the Great Hall to have lunch with some of the other girls in their year. Cath expected to see Harry down there since he hadn’t been able to attend Hogsmeade outings, but he was not in the Common Room or in the Great Hall.

Hagrid had set up the Christmas trees in the entrance hall and was now going to get two more. Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall were using charms and transfiguration to decorate each in Hogwarts house colours.

Unfortunately for Cath, she did not receive a letter from her parents the next day, and despite the several other letters she sent after, much to the chagrin of the owl she kept fastening letters to, did not receive a response until the day before the end of the term.

All it said was:

Cathryn,

We will talk about this when you return home.

***

Cath and Draco pushed their trolleys with their friends through the crowded Platform 9 3/4 and waited in the queue that was forming to exit to Platform 9. All of them were dressed in their warm winter clothes and were chatting excitedly about Christmas.

Cath couldn’t help but feel jealous that all of them were going to be spending the whole two weeks together having fun. She hated the feeling of missing out and wondered if Draco had tried to ask their parents or if he even wanted to join them.

“I think Father and I are going to catch a Quidditch game or two over the break,” Draco was drawling to Hermione.

“What team?” Ron interjected, immediately fascinated by the topic of conversation.

“Puddlemere United, of course,” Draco replied. “We have season passes.”

Cath felt embarrassed by his constant bragging as Ron’s face was overcome with jealousy. She didn’t know why Hermione seemed to find him so interesting.

“That sounds really enjoyable,” she replied. “I’ve never seen a regional team play before. Only our Hogwarts teams.”

“You haven’t?” Draco asked incredulously. “You have to come sometime.”

“There are Mum and Dad,” Ginny said, gesturing to where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were standing, making conversation with another family. She turned back to Cath and Draco. “Let us know if your parents decide you can come.”

“I hope you can,” Hermione said. “It’s always so much fun at the Burrow.”

“I’ll talk them into it,” Cath said confidently, determined not to miss out on the fun.

“Come, Cathryn,” Draco said. “Mother and Father will be waiting for us.”

They said their goodbyes quickly before Cath and Draco continued to push their trolleys down the narrow corridors of the underground system. Their parents normally met them outside King’s Cross station, where they would help with their luggage and walk over to a store in Diagon Alley and use the Floo network to return home to Wiltshire.

“Did you ask about going to the Burrow?” Cath asked Draco.

“I tried sending a letter, but they never responded,” Draco said. “They probably prefer we stay at home during the break. They hardly get to see us during the year as it is.”

“I suppose…” Cath trailed off. “Do you think they don’t want us to go?”

Draco shrugged uncomfortably, causing Cath to think that he probably thought so. “Just drop it,” he said. “We’ll have a perfectly fine Christmas at home.”

Cath didn’t say anything else, but she certainly wasn’t going to drop it.

Just like always, their parents were waiting for them at the grand entrance of King’s Cross station. It was strange to see them without their regular clothes, but Cath knew that Muggles would be suspicious if they saw people wearing cloaks and robes or pointed hats.

Both their parents greeted them with a smile and helped them with their luggage. Between the four of them, they could carry everything. After returning the trolleys, they made their way outside, where snow was falling gently from the sky. The streets of London were decorated for Christmas, and as they entered Diagon Alley, the streetlights and storefronts were as well.

At last, the Malfoys made it back home. When Cath landed in the fireplace of Malfoy Manor, she couldn’t deny that it felt like home. She stepped out into the sitting room, making sure to dust off her feet before walking through and bringing her things up into her room.

Cath’s bedroom was large but fairly simple. The walls were painted an eggshell white. Against the wall opposite the door was her bed, a four-poster with a sage green bedspread and a beige throw blanket. On either side of her bed were two tall windows that let in the afternoon sun.

A large pine wardrobe sat against the wall to the left of the door. To the right was her small bathroom. The side of the room on which the door was, sat a small desk with a stack of books on it. Cath’s favorite part of her bedroom was the large wicker chair that hung from the ceiling. It was large enough that she could curl up on it and comfortable enough that she occasionally fell asleep while working on homework.

The curtains of her four-poster bed were white and billowy. It was so quiet; Cath had gotten used to sharing a dormitory with the seven other girls in her year. Though she did like her room here, it didn’t feel as warm as the Gryffindor dormitories, and Malfoy Manor as a whole lacked the coziness and charm of Gryffindor Tower.

Cath didn’t bother unpacking. Instead, she set her trunk on the ground and picked a book out of the small stack on her desk. Her mom had bought her a set of novels by a well-known witch for her tenth birthday. Cath had tried and tried countless times to read them, but teen romance novels were not exactly her speed.

The book she had selected from the series was called Meet Me at the Clock Tower. The cover showed a young couple kissing under the clock tower in Diagon Alley, a famous magical landmark. Two bookmarks peeking out about a quarter of the way and halfway through told Cath she had attempted to start this one several times.

From down the hall, she could hear Draco and her parents come up the stairs, presumably to drop off the remaining luggage. Cath flung the book onto her bed and looked out of her doorway. This was her chance to interrogate her parents about why they didn’t want her staying at the Burrow during the winter break.

Her mother walked towards Cath’s room with her other things. When she saw the book lying on Cath’s bed she smiled. “Reading those again? Don’t you think it’s time for some new books?”

Cath forced a smile. “Yeah… I suppose so.”

Her mother pushed her long hair over her shoulder and put Cath’s trunk on the bed. Cath opened her mouth but then hesitated. Before her mother left the room, she said, “Mother, I was just wondering if you and Father had given any more thought about… you know, going to the Weasley’s for a bit?”

Her mother stopped in the doorway, gave a small sigh, and then turned around. This time, her smile looked rather forced. “Darling, don’t you see your friends every day at school?”

Cath was beginning to feel very annoyed at this point. She just wanted a straight answer. “Why can’t I go? All of my friends will be there. I really don’t want to miss out!”

“You know, why don’t you try making some other friends? It’s nice to branch out a little bit, isn’t it darling?” Mother said, that fake smile still plastered on her face.

“But why?” Cath asked. She didn’t mean to, but her voice was beginning to rise.

“There are some things that you won’t fully understand until you’re older, you see. Your father and I both agree that… perhaps you should spend time with other people too,” Mother tried to explain, keeping her voice calm and in control.

Tears sprung to Cath’s eyes. She tended to cry when she felt angry. Perhaps it was time to try a different approach. “Please,” she pleaded, trying to use the tears to her advantage. “Please, mother, I just want to go for a few days.”

Her mother automatically put a hand on her shoulder to comfort Cath. Her sympathetic eyes told Cath that she was giving in. “I’ll… talk to your father,” she said, defeated.

“Oh, thank you!” Cath exclaimed, hugging her mother tightly.

She smoothed Cath’s hair before turning around to leave. Feeling satisfied, Cath jumped onto her bed, sinking into the soft feather mattress. Her mother was far easier to win over than her father.

A moment later, she heard someone else enter her room. Cath looked up and saw Draco leaning against her door frame, arms folded across his chest.

“That was a nice little show you put on there,” Draco said.

“I did it for both of us,” Cath said as if that were supposed to somehow justify it.

“Mother could never say no to you…” Draco said, looking slightly bitter as he said it.

“Well, good thing you have Father,” Cath retorted. “You know, it would help if you could ask him about staying at the Burrow.”

Draco shrugged, looking down. “Maybe.”

“Why have you been acting like that?” Cath asked, sitting up.

“Like what?” Draco asked defensively.

“You know,” Cath said. “Sometimes you’re all over Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and sometimes you avoid them. I don’t get it.”

She could tell she was right; Draco frowned and dropped his arms to his sides. “Whatever, Cath.”

“Ask Father!” she called after him as he turned and went back to his room. Cath lay back down, staring up at the covering of her four-poster. She was already bored. Her friends were no doubt having the time of their lives at the Burrow… probably playing games, eating treats, having snowball fights…

Cath drifted off into a light sleep. She had no idea how long she had slept for when she awoke to Draco hitting her with a pillow.

“Draco!” she groaned.

“Supper is ready,” he said, tossing the pillow back on her bead.

Cath sat up and gathered her hair into a tail and changed into some more comfortable lounge clothes. Their house always seemed so cold, no matter how much Cath bundled up. Her footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor as she made her way across the hall and down the long, curved staircase to the first floor.

She breathed in the smell of food wafting from the kitchen, catching hints of thyme and red wine. Her parents and Draco were already seated, and their House Elves were sending platters of food floating over to the dining table.

Cath always thought their dining table was far too long. It seated at least twelve people and looked rather silly with just the four of them taking up the end. Above their heads was a grand chandelier that had been in the Malfoy family for centuries, according to her father. The teardrop-shaped crystals reflected the flickering candlelight.

On the table was roast beef with carrots and potatoes, and a loaf of steaming hot bread wrapped in a cloth to keep warm. The smell made Cath realize just how hungry she was. Her parents sipped dark red wine from antique goblets.

Her father cleared his throat and Draco and Cath both looked up at them. Meals were more or less void of conversation, so whatever their father was about to say must be important.

“Your mother and I have decided to allow you to visit the Weasleys,” he said. It sounded as though the sentence was incredibly hard for him to get out.

Cath’s eyes widened in delight.

“For two nights,” he continued. “After Christmas day.”

“Oh, thank you!” Cath exclaimed. “Thank you so much!”

Her father forced a smile and nodded, taking a gulp of wine. Their mother was delicately cutting her carrots and potatoes, glancing over to their father.

Cath could tell that Draco was excited but trying to act nonchalantly as he buttered a slice of bread. She had always looked forward to Christmas, but now she wanted to skip right past it so that she could be with her friends at the Burrow.

***

As predicted, the first week of Christmas break was quiet and rather boring. Cath’s parents had a few families over and made her spend time with their friends’ children while they were over. Draco enjoyed bossing Vincent and Gregory around, but Cath had absolutely nothing in common with Corban and Lysandra Yaxley’s daughter Clara, who was a Second Year in Slytherin house.

Clara was a very pretty girl with blonde hair that fell in neat curls at her collar bone. She was very fair-skinned, which made her full pink lips stand out. Clara was graceful and poised. Her every movement was fluid and precise as if she were a ballerina. She was at least a head taller than Cath, who felt awkward and clumsy compared to her.

Cath didn’t know what to talk about and felt stupid just sitting across from her trying not to stare too much. The two of them attempted to play a rather half-hearted game of wizard’s chess before they both resigned themselves to sitting in silence, awkwardly sipping on tea. Cath’s father seemed particularly disappointed that Cath hadn’t become immediate best friends with Clara and encouraged her to try harder when she was back at school.

It was finally the day after Christmas. Cath had scribbled a quick note to Ginny on the day their parents gave her and Draco permission to stay with them for a few days. At ten o’clock sharp, Cath was in the sitting room holding a bag with everything she needed for two days. Draco came in a few minutes later, followed by their parents.

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat breakfast here?” Mother asked. She smoothed Cath’s hair behind her ears as she often did.

“I’m fine,” Cath said confidently. “Well, bye! Thanks again for letting us go.” She hugged both of her parents, genuinely grateful.

“Behave yourselves,” Father said.

Without another word, Cath stepped into the grand fireplace, took a handful of Floo powder, and said confidently, “The Burrow!”

She squeezed her eyes shut as she began to shoot away, keeping her arms close to herself and trying to remain as still as possible so she didn’t end up in someone else’s fireplace. Moments later, her feet landed on solid ground and she stumbled out of the hearth into a small, cramped sitting room.

Cath looked around. She felt as though she were in the most comforting, warm home. Compared to hers, where everything seemed cold and quiet, the Burrow was colorful, warm, and alive. A charmed feather duster glided around, and knitted blankets seemed to cover every sofa and piece of furniture. In the corner to her left was a huge Christmas tree, decorated with a variety of ornaments, including pictures of the Weasley children. The walls were a warm yellow, and on one was a massive clock with many hands, one for each member of the family. All of the arrows but two, who Cath had never met, were pointed at “Home.”

The kitchen was in view, and Cath saw the dishes being washed by themselves, as well as a washcloth wiping surfaces. She could hear muffled voices from upstairs. Cath walked tentatively towards the staircase. She looked up and saw that it looked as though different stories were added to the house at different times; all of the landings were uneven and differently shaped.

She heard a poof from behind her and heard Draco approach her. He looked around with a rather unpleasant look on his face.

“They must be very poor,” he remarked.

Cath felt angry and protective, but before she had the chance to respond, she heard footsteps above her. She looked up and saw Ginny standing at the top of one of the landings.

“Cath! You’re here!” she exclaimed.

“Who’s here?” said someone from about three floors up. Fred and George came into view. “Oh! Hello, Malfoys.”

Hermione burst out of a room and hurried down the stairs. “Oh, I’m so thrilled you both could come!” she exclaimed. She gave both of them a hug, causing Draco’s face to flush slightly. “Did you have a nice Christmas?” she asked.

“It was nice,” Draco replied. He looked a lot more relaxed now.

“Harry, Ron!” Ginny called up the stairs.

The boys came out of a room from the floor above Ginny and saw Cath and Draco. Harry looked incredibly happy. From the little she had heard about his aunt and uncle, Cath was sure that being at the Burrow for Christmas was like heaven.

“Cath, fancy a game of Exploding Snap?” George said, with a look that said he knew she wasn’t going to turn him down.

“Obviously,” she replied.

All of them found a spot in the small living room. While the game was being set up, Cath leaned over to Ginny and asked, “Gin, who are the other two on the clock?”

She pointed to the big clock where Bill and Charlie were away.

“Bill is our oldest brother,” Ginny explained. “He’s five years older than Percy. He works in Egypt as a curse breaker for Gringott’s bank. And Charlie is two years younger than him. He trains dragons in Romania.”

“Are they here?” Cath asked.

Ginny shook her head sadly. “They haven’t been home for Christmas for two years. But we did get to visit Bill in Egypt last summer. Mum always tries to convince them to come home, but they’re having the time of their lives.”

Cath admitted that they both sounded incredibly cool. About halfway into the game, the front door opened, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came in with their arms laden with bags and parcels. They set everything down in the entrance, and Mrs. Weasley waved her wand at all the bags, which began to float into the kitchen and unpack themselves. Carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, apples, and cranberries all washed themselves in the sink while canned and dry goods flew into cupboards and pantries.

“Oh, the Malfoys are here!” Molly exclaimed to Arthur. She came into the living room, stretching her arms out for a hug. Cath, though surprised, received her nearly bone-crushing embrace. Not even Draco could get away. “We’re so thrilled you could join us for a few days. Have you had breakfast? You look hungry.”

“We're fine,” Cath replied politely.

“I’m starving,” Draco said at the exact same time.

“And good heavens, it’s nearly lunchtime! Let me set out some tea and biscuits to hold you over,” she said, hurrying back to the kitchen.

Mr. Weasley stopped her and took off her scarf, coat, and wool hat for her before she went to business. He nodded politely at Cath and Draco as he hung both his and Molly’s outerwear on a coatrack that was already dangerously close to falling over on account of all the jackets and scarfs hanging on its many arms.

“It’s a pleasure to have you,” he said over the noise of the game. “I trust you had a nice Christmas?”

"Very nice, thank you,” Cath replied. “Thank you so much for letting us stay.”

"Of course,” Mr. Weasley smiled. “Any friend of Ron and Ginny’s is a friend of ours.”

Moments later, a fresh pot of tea and some biscuits were making their way to the coffee table. As everyone poured themselves a cup, Cath couldn’t think of a better way to spend Christmas break than with all of her friends in one room.

#harry potter #harry potter fanfiction #hpff #hermione granger #ron weasley #dramione #draco malfoy #malfoy family #read on ao3 #ao3 writer #ao3 feed #fanfiction #wolfstar #writer #fanfiction writer #mine #writing

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ootori-sibs · 4 years ago

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Kyoya's second shot

Episode 1: The shadow plan

Hello everyone! This is a new fic that I think you'll enjoy if you enjoy the summer camp fic! It picks up immediately after the anime, with of course a break for the host's to spend their summer holiday. It's not connected to the summer camp fic but has similar themes. Enjoy!

"So? Do we have a deal?"

Kyoya hummed in thought, slowly nodding at the woman on the other side of the screen. He'd spent a long time deliberating over this, months even, practically the entire summer holiday. It had been seeing his friends all happy and put together that pushed him to make this decision; if they can be so wonderful and happy then why couldn't he?

The woman nodded, a smirk playing on her lips. "And I'll get my company?"

"Of course, you'll be the primary advisor for him. Only after he becomes my husband, that is our deal." He clicks his pen and writes in his little notepad. "So that will be all hm?"

23:38 - Eclair has agreed to our deal, I will write up a contract soon to make sure there's no attempt at a breach of contract.

The woman- Eclair nodded, a vindictive smile on her face, an expression that sent shivers down Kyoya's spine. "Of course, Ootori. That's what we agreed on, not that I agree with your-" She looks him up and down, silently scoffing. "-lifestyle. But I do adore this plan of ours. Do tell me how you plan on seducing a taken man? Or did you forget about that little detail?"

Kyoya let a little growl at that, clenching his fists instinctively. "That's not for you to worry about, you're not exactly an example of purity in that regard, Eclair." He sighed, putting his note book down. "I will write up a contract for you, you'll see it soon. Au revoir, Eclair."

He ended the video call and sighed, flopping down onto his bed. God he felt awful going behind his friends like this- especially talking to Eclair of all people. But it had to be done, he simply couldn't take this kind of pain anymore. Something had to be done or he was literally going to lose his goddamn mind.

The first day back at school was going to be hell, Kyoya knew this from the moment the holidays had started, a month into the break he'd stopped agreeing to go on club outings with the group. He'd used so many excuses they'd even come to his house once to make sure he was alright. He felt so guilty for this, but he just couldn't do it- he wasn't strong enough. He'd definitely spiralled since the end of his second year- he barely had the strength to argue with his brother these days, Akito had begun to call him weekly to make sure he was alright, Akito never showed that much care.

The moment Kyoya woke up on Monday, he knew he had to get right to work. He sat at his vanity, staring into the cold, dead eyes that had viewed the world so coldly before the hosts came into his life. He sighs, it'll all go back to playing happy families once he does what he needs to. He's only hurting himself feeling guilt like this. He takes his little palette of makeup, making sure to hide any signs of tiredness or stress with concealer and foundation. He capitalised on the sharpness of his eyes with some eyeliner, only a hint of the lightest purple eyeshadow he could find and just a little bit of blush. He made sure to do his lips in a nice deep and dark plum shade, he'd only ever worn makeup twice before, but he knew a little from watching Fiyumi do her magic. Not to mention he'd done his research.

He had brought a small flask to school with him, just a little one, stolen from his father's office. It wasn't anything too strong, just some honey whiskey, he didn't even know what was in the flask until he'd taken a sip. He sighed heavily and stepped out of his limo and through the gates of the school, instantly there were eyes on him, he wasn't sure if it was because of his host status or his makeup. If it was the latter he couldn't care less if they judge him, they've seen him in worse.

He slowly made his way to his classroom, taking out his notebook to take notes on anything interesting he notices.

7:39 - Seika Ayanokoji has a new bag, likely bought for her by her father. It's one of the new lunar releases from the twins mother, I notice she doesn't appear to have the matching heels- but it's possible that she simply chose to not wear them to school. Further investigation will be needed.

7:43 - The one dubbed 'Princess Teacup' has been spotted on the phone with her fiancé, near the window opposite her classroom door. They're discussing his roommate owning a glass tea set, nothing too much of note, but the idea of a glass tea set sounds like something the club should invest in. I will discuss this with Tamaki.

7:50 - Kuze and his friends are blocking the corridor, he's bragging to his friends about something or other that his fiancée did for him over the holiday. Unfortunately I will have to go the long way around, I may even arrive after Tamaki does.

When he finally got to the classroom, Tamaki was already sitting there- just as Kyoya had predicted. Kyoya closed his eyes, bracing for whatever Tamaki may say- because he knows it's going to be extra. He's instantly proven right as Tamaki rushes at him, hugging him tightly and muttering words in both English and French, only settling back into Japanese when he's calmed down slightly. "Kyoya, Mon Ami! Are you alright?? Feeling better? Come on Kyoya, let's sit down."

He drags Kyoya over to their seats, staring at him in worry. He's clearly waiting for Kyoya to say something, but Kyoya just sighs- causing Tamaki to interrupt him before he could even begin to speak. "Kyoya, please speak to me… we were all so worried about you…" Yet they'd only elected to visit him once, only once over the entire summer holiday had they cared enough to come and check on him- even his brother cared more than that. Sure, Kyoya loved Tamaki with his entire heart, but he could still feel bitter and hurt for the neglect of the care Tamaki was trying to imply.

"Apologies, Tamaki." Kyoya didn't want to apologize, he had nothing to apologize for. But he knew he had to keep Tamaki happy, that was the most important thing here- keep the king happy. But for some reason this made Tamaki frown, guilt in his eyes. Kyoya didn't understand it, he'd stepped down from any argument that might arise, he'd let Tamaki's words hit without any fighting back, and Tamaki was sad?

"Why are you apologising?"

To placate you. That was what the truth was, but Kyoya knew he couldn't just say that. He sighed for the second time this morning, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "For the mild amount of concern I appear to have caused you and the others." It was honest, when they'd come to visit that one time- Kyoya had gotten angry at them; how dare they care when he is so unable.

Tamaki sighs, for one of the first times, he looks tired. "Alright Kyoya, just remember you can always talk to me. Alright?" Kyoya just nodded in response to that, taking out his notebook.

8:14 - Tamaki appears to be expressing worry towards me. He lies about the entire club worrying and seemed almost surprised when I chose to apologize in order to placate him.

Up in the club room, they were getting ready for the first session of the year. When each club member walked in, the first thing they did was ask Kyoya if he was feeling better, it was highly disorientating. But it wasn't until Haruhi walked straight up to him and said; "if you're having mental health issues, senpai- I can recommend a couple of resources," with a caring smile on her face, that Kyoya realised why they were being so considerate of his presence…. They were trying to show the care that Tamaki had implied, and Haruhi even had the nerve to assume she knew what Kyoya's problem was.

It was disgusting. How dare they care so much, where were they when he was actively spiralling? Off doing whatever nonsense they were up to. Now he actually had a plan to get what he's always wanted, they decide to care about him? They had two whole years to care, they don't get a third chance. Kyoya simply sat in silence when the others were doing their hosting, just writing his emails.

To: [email protected]

Cc:

Subject: Meeting.

Nekozawa, I have a proposition for you. I would like to meet with you and some others in the second school hall at around 7 pm this Friday. I have some things to say that might interest you.

Until then,

Ootori Kyoya.

He sent almost identical emails to the head of the newspaper club, the head of the karate club and then began to write a version for a certain someone they'd met in the spring half term: Arai. Now Kyoya didn't know the guy's email, he didn't even know the guy's last name. But it only took an hour to find it, he knew enough about the guy after all.

To: [email protected]

Cc:

Subject: Meeting.

Hello Arai, you don't know me. I don't believe we've even spoken directly. But I'm one of Haruhi Fujioka's friends, the name's Kyoya. I'm writing to offer you a unique opportunity, especially for a commoner. At 7 pm Friday, you were invited to attend a private meeting in Ouran Academy's second hall. As well as myself, there will be three people in attendance. I do recommend you come, it will give you a huge opportunity you do not want to turn down.

Thank you very much,

Ootori Kyoya.

He knew he had to use gentler wording with the commoner, from what he'd seen, Arai is a softer gentleman, with just as much of a moral high horse as Haruhi. He in no way wanted to scare the boy off, he knew more business minded manners tended to catch commoners off guard. It was a lot more gentle with the commoner's email than with the others, for the others knew what he was like, and had no qualms with it. He sighed after sending the emails, leaning back in his chair slightly.

Of course the first day was fairly harmless, nothing truly important happened. But Kyoya did notice how Haruhi still wasn't completely affectionate with Tamaki, what an ungrateful girl.

13:27 - Haruhi doesn't deserve him. She refuses to give him the love he so deserves, she must be dealt with.

At the end of the day, Kyoya packed up his bag, kind of irritated that no one pointed out his immaculately done makeup, at least not to his face. The twins hopped over the moment he thought that, ready to say those exact words; "why are you wearing makeup? We've been wondering all day."

Oh that is wonderful, Kyoya felt pleased now, the idea that his little attempt at makeup had the club fashionistas pondering it the whole day was highly pleasing. Especially when Kaoru added on to what they'd said with; "you look really good by the way, is that violet eyeshadow or mauve and white?" Oh that might not have been who he was trying to get the attention of, but the fact he got someone's attention still cheered him up significantly.

"Actually it's magenta with some violet shimmer." He adjusted his glasses so they could see better. "I'm glad to hear you like it."

The twins nod, humming in approval. "Why are you wearing it though?" Hikaru repeats the question, the same question Kyoya had purposely avoided.

He sighed, moving his head slightly so the light glints off of his glasses. "Does it matter?"

"Considering that brand of lipstick is specifically marketed to attract people, I'd say it's curious you chose that one specifically." Kaoru spoke with a devious smile on his face, instantly hitting the nail on the head. Kyoya wasn't even sure how to proceed, they'd caught him already, and he was furious at that- can a boy not be wickedly homosexual in peace?

"Well is that really any of your business?" He raised an eyebrow, challenging the twins, did they really want to be that brave? Clearly they didn't, from the way they raised their hands in surrender and left the club room.

Kyoya let out a soft sigh of relief, his eyes drifting over towards Haruhi and Tamaki… they were cuddling on the chaise lounge, kissing occasionally too- not a care to the fact he was remaining in the room. He felt the rage growing in his core, he could just throttle that commoner.

16:30 - The happy couple are showing off their affections finally, it makes me sick how they care not for how I may judge them. I was under the impression Haruhi cared not for these frivolous affections.

#ohshc #kyoya ootori #kyotama #tamaki souh #tamaharu #haruhi fujioka #kaoru hitachiin #hikaru and kaoru #hikaru hitachiin #nekozowa #kyoyassecondshot

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jellytoru · 4 years ago

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Take me home ( The Umbrella Academy )

Five Hargreeves X Reader

Masterlist

Chapter 2: “ Oh, Quelle surprise! ” part. 2

" Is that my skirt? " Allison asked, eyeing the skirt that Klaus was wearing, Y/n turned her head at Klaus before looking down to see him wearing a long, cloured grey flowy skirt that reaches past his knees, the younger-looking female let out a chuckle at the sight.

" What? " Klaus replied as he turned around to face Allison " Oh, yeah, this. I found it in your room. It's a little dated, I know, but it's very breathy on the bits " Klaus explained as he makes hand gestures before taking a seat beside Y/n which sitting on the female's legs in the process. earning a yelp in pain from the female

" Ouch! Klaus! " Y/n yelp before curling her legs inwards so Klaus could sit on the space that Y/n's legs were resting before.

" Sorry sis " Klaus replied before offering the glass to his younger sister, Y/n got up from Vanya's lap and grab the glass before taking a sip and handing it back at Klaus as she laid at Vanya's lap once again.

" Listen up. Still some important things that we need to discuss. all right? " Luther announced to his siblings.

" Like what? " Diego asked aggressively, clearly annoyed at Luther.

" Like the way he died. " Luther answered, eyeing Y/n as she was looking at Five's portrait again.

" And here we go " Diego sighed as he looked to the side.

" I don't understand. I thought they said it was a heart attack " Klaus said

" Yeah, according to the coroner " replied Luther

Vanya stops laying with Y/n hair as she questioned " Well, wouldn't they know? "

" Theoretically "

" Theoretically? " both Allison and Y/n asked in unison as they both looked at Luther confuse.

" I'm just saying, at the very least, something happened. " as Luther said that, Y/n took her legs off from Klaus's lap and got up from Vanya's lap as she sits properly, both of her hands were now on top of her lap while straightening her back. She knows something gonna happened and she doesn't like where this is going.

" The last time that I talked to Dad, he sounded strange," Luther said

" Oh yeah, the last time I talked to Dad which was last night- he sounded normal " Y/n chimed in

" Oh, Quelle surprise! " Klaus gurgled, Vanya and Y/n give him a disgusted look.

" Strange how? " Allison questioned, ignoring Y/n's statement.

" He sounded on edge. Told me I should be careful who to trust " Luther explained

' The hell is he thinking? ' Y/n asked herself as her eyes start to twitch in annoyance ' Dad was normal last night '

" Luther, he was a paranoid, bitter old man who was starting to lose what was left of his marbles," Diego said as he stood up from his seat and started to walk forward at Luther.

" No. He must have known something was going to happen." Luther replied as he and Diego looked at each other before breaking the eye contact " Look, I know you don't like to do it, but I need you to talk to Dad " Luther adds as he looked at Klaus.

Klaus pointed at himself, looking at Luther with disbelief, Allison scoffs before bringing the glass to her mouth.

" I can't just call Dad in the afterlife and be like, " Dad, could you just...stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment and take a quick call? " " Klaus explained

" Since when? That's your thing " Luther replied

" Don't make him do what he doesn't want to, Luther " Y/n told the giant male in front of her.

" I'm not in the right....frame of mind " Klaus answered

" You're high? " Allison questioned

Klaus laughs before admitting " Yeah! Yeah! I mean, how are you not, listening to this nonsense? "

" Well, sober up, this is important " Luther harshly demand at Klaus, making the junkie male sigh, Y/n just pat her junkie brother's shoulder while sending him a timid smile.

" Then there's the issue of the missing monocle "

" Who gives a shit about a stupid monocle? " Diego scoffs

Y/n clicked her tongue " Yeah, Who even gives a flying fuck about that? "

" Exactly. It's worthless. So whoever took it, I think it was personal " Luther affirmed looking at Deigo before looking back at the rest of his siblings " Someone close to him. Someone with a grudge " he adds

Diego looked at Luther with disbelief as Klaus asked " Where are you going with this? "

" Oh, isn't it obvious, Klaus? " Diego grumbles as he took one step at Luther while looking at the male with pure anger present to this face, " He thinks one of us killed Dad. "

Luther grunts softly as Diego continued " And he thinks Y/n was the one who killed Dad because she's the only one with him "

" First of all- What the fuck? " Y/n announced looking at Luther with disbelief " Second of all- For all due respect! So you're suspecting me? no wonder you kept looking at me with a deep hatred on your eyes! Yeah, I'm angry with Dad- Hell! I even despise him because he was the reason why I'm still stuck at this 14-year-old body! Not to mention spending almost half of my life training after I woke up 4 years ago! But I would never- I mean NEVER! EVER! do that kind of thing to Dad! Heaven forbid me! " Y/n barked at her brother who is standing in front of her.

The female could feel Vanya and Klaus worried glances at her but she paid no heed at them " Luther, just because you just got sent to the moon, that doesn't mean you have the right to suspect everyone in our family that killed Dad! Especially me because I'm the only one, among us remaining six siblings that still lived here! "

Y/n quickly stood up from the sofa and storm off the living room without looking to her siblings who were left behind and made her way towards her bedroom to try and take a nap because she hasn't slept since yesterday. The stress, anxiety and depression are worsening by the minute and she could feel herself hyperventilating again and her vision started to swirl, luckily Y/n leaned her body against the wall and started to take deep breaths, remembering how her mother would always tell her to breath in slowly and hold it for 5 seconds before exhaling, she did that about 6 times.

After doing that, she slowly walks her way towards her bedroom, twisting the doorknob gently before entering her bedroom and close it behind her. Y/n then made her way towards her bed and flop on top of the soft mattress.

After the outburst of their little sister, the living room grew silent and the remaining siblings wait for Luther's explanation only for the giant male to let out a small grunt without saying anything. Vanya, Allison, Diego and Klaus looked at Luther with pure disbelief and disappointment.

" So you do think that N/n killed dad! " Klaus said stun by how much their brother distrust them mostly to their little sister.

" How could you think of that? " Vanya questioned

" Great job, Luther. Way to lead, " Diego said sarcastically before walking out of the living room.

" That's not what I'm saying " Luther tried to explain as he watches Klaus stood up from the couch.

" You're crazy, man, You're crazy, " Klaus told Luther as he stood up from the couch and walk towards the small table to grab the trophy " Crazy " he added.

" I'm not finished " Luther claimed as he tried to call back Diego and Klaus.

Vanya stood up from the couch as Klaus turned to face Luther and jesters" Sorry! I'm just gonna go murder Mom. Be right back " then turned towards the door and walked out of the living room with Vanya behind him. " Be right back! " Klaus said as he and Vanya walk out of the living room and go to separate way.

" That's not what I'm trying to say " Luther tried to explain " I didn't- " the giant male sighed as he watched Vanya and Klaus walk away, Luther then looked at Allison who is also walking out of the living room, leaving Luther alone by himself.

" Allison, Jeez... That went well " Luther sighed to himself.

@outofcoffeee @im-dead-and-hurting @isnt-it-loverly @ifancyubbko @littleshine07 @2cuteforyourlies

#five hargreeves x reader #number five x reader #tua x reader #x reader insert #the umbrella academy

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galvanizedfriend · 4 years ago

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Fic: Speed Dating

KC Bingo 2020 by @klaroline-events

The prompt is: Losing a Bet

This is fluff inspired by an episode of House. I have no idea how successful this first endeavor into unknown territory was, but @itsnotacrimetoloveyou assured me it’s good and also confirmed that it is, indeed, fluff! Also, thank you for beta’ing this and for laughing at all the jokes! lol

I hope you guys enjoy it! :) Reblogs and comments are very much welcome!

______________________

There is something fundamentally wrong, Caroline thinks, in pitying the white, rich, genetically blessed art gallery owner she lives with. It feels like a waste of empathy. Klaus has the whole world at his feet. Wherever he goes, doors open, red carpets roll out, champagne bottles pop left and right. Which makes his brooding and scowling and antisocial behavior all the more inexplicable.

He isn't always like that, truth be told. When Caroline first moved in, Klaus was out and about all the time. Opening nights, exhibitions, soirées, premieres, parties - you name it. There were weeks when Caroline would barely see him. If he wasn’t at some event, then he was at the gallery, if not at the gallery, then locked up in his studio. As far as she knew, he was pretty much living the dream.

"He's never there," Rebekah said when she pitched the idea of rooming with her brother to Caroline. She used to share an apartment with Elena, but her friend had decided to take the next step with her dumbass of a boyfriend and since it was her name on the lease, Caroline was the one having to find a new place. Her money was short and so were her options. "Nik has this huge apartment all to himself and no one to really watch over it. All the plants I give him die within a week. He could use a roommate, honestly, and you'd be perfect."

"Is he looking for a roommate, though?"

"Not yet. He will be, when I tell him to."

"Rebekah -"

"Just come and see the place, ok? It's worth it."

It made no sense that a guy with his lifestyle and bank account would want to share an apartment with a complete stranger, and Caroline had the very strong feeling the idea never even so much as crossed his mind. Judging by the spirited spat she overheard between the two siblings while she waited outside, it was exactly the case. On her request, Rebekah went in first to talk to him; Caroline would only follow if he agreed to it. She didn't want to see the apartment of someone who wasn't looking for a roommate. She was about to sneak out through the stairs and pretend she'd never been there when Rebekah wrapped a hand around her arm and pulled her into the apartment. Before she could even manifest her exasperation, her snake of a friend walked out and locked the door behind her, leaving the two of them there to stare at one another in complete astonishment.

"I think we've been set up," she said, affecting an awkward smile.

"Rebekah has never learned the meaning boundaries, I'm afraid," he said, not nearly as fiery as he'd sounded a moment before while arguing with his sister.

"Look, this was not my idea, ok? I was just looking for a place, and Rebekah said — You know what, doesn't matter. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

Klaus looked at her — really looked at her — assessing her with such sharpness it stole the wind off her chest. Mikaelsons... they're an intense bunch.

"Since you're here," he said after a moment. "Can I offer you a drink for your trouble?"

He opened a bottle of wine that cost more than Caroline's previous rent and gestured for her to make herself comfortable on the giant leather couch in his living room. He wanted to know what she did for a living, how she knew his sister, why she was on the market for an apartment, what kind of place she had in mind, what her routine was like. It was all obvious questions you'd expect from a prospective roommate, but it never felt as though she was being interviewed. Conversation simply flowed, such an easy back-and-forth she didn't realize what was happening until it was hours later and Rebekah was back with a few shopping bags in her hands and a triumphant smile on her face.

"So, when do you move in?" she asked.

"Whenever she sees fit," Klaus replied, albeit glaring at his sister.

"Wait– what?" Caroline blinked, eyes cutting from one sibling to the other. "What do you mean?"

"A spoiled brat though my sister may be, she does have a point. This apartment could use another soul. If you feel so inclined, you can bring your things whenever it is convenient. The guest bedroom is furnished, but I can put it all in storage if you'd rather have your own set. There's also plenty of room for your personal things in the common areas, you can make it more to your liking. All I ask is that you don't replace the art on the walls. I rather fancy them."

Caroline's mouth moved wordlessly for a long time. "You... I thought you didn't want a roommate."

He shrugged nonchalantly, pouring himself another glass of wine. "I'm known to be rather volatile."

"But I can't — I mean, we didn't even discuss rent and expenses. I'm a med student, I can't afford this place."

"Nonsense. It's mine." Caroline drew the breath in for a righteous protest, and he added, "We can share the bills, if you insist."

And, well. It's not how Caroline likes to do business, way too sudden, with none of the meticulous in-depth analysis she usually applies to absolutely everything, from buying dish sets to choosing a new hairstyle. Moving in with someone she didn’t know at all seemed like way too big a deal for her to simply skip those vital steps. She didn't even compile her pros and cons list. But…

The neighborhood was fantastic, the type where she'd never afford to live in as a student, it was so conveniently close to school, and Elena was pestering the hell out of her to move out so Damon could move in. She'd been to four apartments already: two were incredibly dirty — which told her everything she needed to know about the people living there; another had a single bathroom shared between four people, and the last had a creepy guy across the hall. The floor to ceiling windows alone in Klaus' living room would've sold her the place, and paying next to nothing? It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The conversation with him had been rather nice, if she was honest, and he was Rebekah's brother, so if anything went crazy, she knew exactly who to call.

For the first so many months, the Klaus-is-never-home story was very true. After a while he started inviting her to tag along to some of his events, which she did in a few occasions, especially after he learned she could not say no to puppy eyes. "These people will bore me to death, love, please, save me." Klaus can be such a dramatic baby. The parties were great and the vernissages fancy as hell, but she didn't complain. Going out with him was fun. They got along well, the booze was always A level and Klaus enjoyed taking his time to explain stuff to her. Living with him, she got to learn more about artistic movements than in all her life before. It's more interesting than she ever gave it credit. Or Klaus made it seem so, anyway. The accent kind of goes a long way.

What Caroline came to learn about him after a few months, however, was that not everything was rainbows and unicorns for Klaus as it seemed at first glance. Nothing threw him off quite like his family. He only ever spoke about Rebekah, the only sibling who lived closed by and stopped for visits, even more so than usual after Caroline moved in. She did overhear him on the phone with Elijah a few times, too. The other three, though, Freya, Finn and Kol, Caroline only knew about through Rebekah.

"Nik doesn't get along with our siblings," Rebekah told her when she asked why he never spoke of the rest of the family. "I don't blame him. I don't know what mother nature was thinking when it gathered us all under the same genetic code, we're far too screwed up to be all in the same Thanksgiving dinner."

That was an understatement, in Caroline's opinion. Whenever Klaus went back to England to visit his parents and the rest of his siblings —- something he avoided like the plague but was apparently forced to do — he came back sullen and with a temper from hell. His sour moods could last for weeks. He'd stay locked up in his bedroom or at the studio for days on end, making Caroline slightly guilty for thinking she was the thing keeping him from circulating around his own place.

"Don't be ridiculous," he snapped at her once when she suggested she could move out if he'd changed his mind. "If you move out, I will hunt you down and drag you back here."

It was perhaps slightly too aggressive an answer to be sweet, but Caroline gathers that was Klaus' way of saying he didn't want her to go.

She stayed and learned how to navigate the storms caused by his occasional family reunions. Let him do his thing, don't ask about his parents, offer him food from time to time. They make do. But it still bothers her to no end. Like right now.

It's been a month since he came back from London, more upset than necessarily angry, and he has barely set foot out of the apartment. He stays in his sweatpants and ink-stained Marc Jacobs shirts all day, wavering between having too much coffee and too much whiskey. He hasn't even been painting, which points to an all-time low.

When she walks out of her room all dressed up, putting on her earrings, he's sitting in front of the television, flipping through channels nonstop. His eyes are so unfocused she doubts he even knows what he's doing, his finger just pressing the button mindlessly.

Caroline checks her wristwatch and sighs. Bonnie is gonna be furious if she's late, but Klaus sitting on his ass like that is a waste of a perfectly fine eligible bachelor.

"What are you doing tonight?" she asks.

"Watching a movie," he says flatly after a moment, the information that he'd been spoken to taking a second to register in his brain.

"You mean porn."

He turns his face to her, eyebrows lazily arched. "If you want specifics. I'd ask you to join me, but people are already talking."

She gives him a look and then bends forward, fixing the straps of her high-heeled sandals. "Don't you get tired?"

"Who gets tired of porn?"

"Of watching porn?" He just shrugs. "Men," she puffs out with an eye roll. "Come out with me tonight. I'm going speed dating."

"That's so very boomer of you. It reeks of despair."

"It's old school, so what?" she counters, checking herself out on the antique floor length mirror. She turns to one side, then the other, tosses her hair back. "Is this cleavage too slutty? I don't want to look too slutty."

"What are you aiming for? Moderately promiscuous?"

She turns to him. "I want to say hot but with class, not I have nicknames for my boobs."

He snorts. "You look stunning, sweetheart," he says, his eyes lingering perhaps a bit too long on her décolletage.

"Thanks," she says, crossing her arms in front of her chest, suddenly self-conscious. "Back to the subject."

He sighs, turning back to the television. "Haven't they invented an app for that?"

"I'm tired of apps. It's cold, photos are almost never consistent with the truth and when you ask for a real-time one, all you get is dick pics."

"I hate to disappoint, but you're fooling yourself if you think men won't lie to your face, too."

"You can't blame me for wanting to stay hopeful that men aren't all as cynical as you. I'd have to give up sex forever if I thought that."

Klaus' lips quirk into a lopsided grin. "Well, I wish you good luck on your endeavor."

"I think you need to meet somebody, too," she insists. "You're turning into a couch potato, Klaus."

"I refute that."

"When was the last time you had a date?"

"I don't do dates."

Caroline rolls her eyes again. She has never seen him with the same girl twice, and very few have actually made it to his apartment. Mostly, he's the one who spends the night, not the other way around. He laughed at her face when she tried to tell him he didn't have to worry about bringing friends over on her account. "That's sweet, love, but I don't bring people over unless I have no other option."

"Why not?"

"Because when they know where I live it's harder to get rid of them. Besides, it's such a bore when they decide not to leave in the morning. Women can be rather spiteful."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You are so full of crap. Typical. Sweet-talk women into sleeping with you and then call them crazy when they expect a minimum of respect in return."

"I respect them fine; I just don't want to have breakfast."

"Because that is such a commitment."

"It's far more than I'm willing to commit, yes."

"We have breakfast all the time. What, am I special?"

He simply smiled, the annoying dimples he uses to lure women into bed cutting into his cheeks.

"Fine," she says, stomping her foot. "Your last one-night stand?"

"Should I be flattered you're keeping such close tabs on my life?"

"See? You're becoming this insufferable creature that I can barely tolerate that answers everything with sarcasm. Soon enough, I'm gonna have to move out and I don't want to because I like this apartment."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Come out with me. This way you get to meet twenty somebodies at once."

"Is that why you're going?"

"Last two dates I had were exclusive two hours of complete disaster I will never get back. At least this way I speed up the process of elimination."

"Over five-minute conversations," he derides.

"Five minutes is more than enough time. If they can't impress me or at the very least make me intrigued, then they're definitely not worth a second date."

"You make it sound oh-so-alluring. Like a meat market."

"Klaus," she says, slowly, planting herself between him and the random Discovery Channel show on the TV. "It's dozens of women literally just waiting to be hit on. Your odds at a happy ending are much better than if stay home and watch porn."

He regards for a beat and then sighs in defeat. "How can I say no when you make me out to be a wanker if I refute your argument?"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"You brought a date?!" Bonnie cries out with indignation when Caroline arrives at the bar with Klaus on tow.

She considered giving her friend a heads up that he'd be tagging along, but she knows what Bonnie would say. She has been saying it for a while, any opportunity she gets. Just make a move already, Caroline! Fuck the guy's brains out and get over it or stop talking about Klaus all the goddamn time.

The fact she's brought him out to meet other people should probably tell Bonnie that she does not want to bang her roommate. Not that she wouldn't, because Klaus is obviously, you know... Alluring. Annoying, sure, prone to mood swings, but also witty and smart and refined and incredibly attentive when it comes to her, not to mention the whole exterior package thing. But they live together, she's friends with his sister, and it would be a totally stupid idea to ruin it with casual sex. Caroline sweeps the whole tension under the rug and keeps Klaus firmly on the realm of healthy, platonic friendship. But Bonnie would've found a way to claim otherwise if she'd said he was coming.

"He's not a date," she counters. "He's a dater."

Bonnie gives Klaus a pointed look. "Blink once if you were coerced into being here."

Klaus makes an effort of blinking, and Caroline gapes in protest. "I did not coerce you. Our couch has a permanent imprint of Klaus' ass. He needed to dive back into the pool. I'm just being helpful."

"I'm here for the drinks, mostly," he offers.

"Well, you just ruined these poor men's lives," Bonnie says, bobbing her head towards the line of guys standing around them, waiting for the thing to start.

She hadn't really noticed, but they're all staring at them. Not at her, or at Bonnie, but at Klaus, with looks that go from mildly concerned to openly hostile.

"Tough luck," she says with a light shrug. "Look on the bright side. They're gonna be forced to bring out their A game."

"Ahh," Bonnie says, smiling at last. "I see your plan now. That’s actually smart."

"What the bloody hell are you two babbling about?" Klaus asks.

Caroline cocks him a disbelieved eyebrow. "Seriously? You can't tell?"

"Look around, Klaus," Bonnie says. "All the girls are checking you out."

"Not uncommon," he replies matter-of-factly.

"And the guys are shooting daggers at you," Caroline adds.

He purses his lips. "Also not uncommon."

"Exactly. This is competition."

"It's not a beauty pageant, love."

"Life is a beauty pageant," she retorts solemnly.

"Let's put it this way," Bonnie cuts in. "Little girls who kiss frogs expect them to turn into you."

Klaus puffs out a laugh. "Why, thank you, Bonnie, for the rather flattering image. But I don't think I'm that good looking."

"Now you're just playing dumb, which is not sexy, by the way."

He turns to Caroline, cocking his eyebrows in doubt. "Yes, you are, Klaus." A sly smirk breaks onto his lips, and she realizes he'd just set her up into singing his praise. Before he can follow up with a snarky and probably inappropriate remark, she slaps his arm lightly. "Oh, shut up."

"I bet you'll walk out of here with everyone's phone numbers," Bonnie says.

"Except for ours, of course," Caroline adds.

"Why not yours?" he asks, somewhat offended.

"You already have my number."

"Not in this context."

"Yes, because I already know you and all the nasty little bits of your personality. These women, on the other hand, don't."

"So you're attributing every relationship I've ever had to my looks?"

"I thought you didn't do relationships."

"Not normally."

"Well, not the whole relationship," she muses. "Just the beginning."

"The rest are the dimples," Bonnie remarks with a serious nod.

Klaus shakes his head despondently. "And here I was thinking women aren't as vain as men."

Caroline turns to him, putting her hand out. "Wanna bet? You can't tell anyone you're a trust fund kid who runs an art gallery. You're unemployed. Don't pay attention to everything they say, pretend to be distracted. And lose the accent. One hundred bucks says you walk out of here with at least… Twenty names. And I'm being conservative."

Klaus narrows his eyes at her. "You brought me out here to get laid and now you want me to jeopardize my chances?"

"On the contraire. I'm saying you can make yourself out to be as interested as you really are, and still get laid."

He finally takes her hand on a firm shake. "You're on."

A gong rings and they all turn to see a woman with a bright smile beckoning them all to approach. "Ladies and gentlemen," she starts. "The fun is about to start. Ladies, please, take your seats. There's a table for each of you. When I strike this gong, each man should sit at the first table they've been assigned to. When I strike it again, date's over, move on to the next."

"Wish me good luck, then," Klaus tells her as they turn around to order a drink from the bar before moving to their respective spots.

"You won't need it, buddy."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Hello, sweetheart," Klaus says pleasantly as he slides into the seat across from her.

Caroline lets out a weary exhale. "Hi, number..." she reads the tag on his chest. "26. What do you prefer, a weekend on the mountains or long walks on the beach?"

"Mountain, easy. Too much sand on the beach, it gets in all sorts of awkward places."

Caroline snorts into her martini. "That's actually the best answer I've had to this question so far. Or to any question, really." She raises her glass on a toast. "How's it going?"

He purses his lips. "I've had to answer that question unironically more than once, so I'd say not stellar."

"I'm sorry," she says around a chuckle.

"You don't look sorry."

"Because I'm not, really. It would be unfair for me to suffer alone. Seen anyone you like, at least?"

The smile on his face turns mysterious. "There's one so far."

"Just one?"

"It's hard to speed date when you're pretending to be slow, uninteresting and American, to be honest."

"You could just tell them the truth. That you were dragged here by a friend who took pity on you sitting around, watching porn all day. That would sure scare some of them away. Although some would probably ask what kind of porn."

"What about you?"

"I don't want to know what kind of porn you watch."

He rolls her eyes at her. "I mean, how's your night going?"

"Oh, you know," she shrugs with a lot less enthusiasm than she'd expected to have by this point in the evening. "A couple of contenders, I guess."

"Oh?"

"Still early."

"Forgive me for pointing it out, but you don't seem particularly excited."

She puffs out in frustration. "Every time I tell them I'm a Med student, they ask what kind of doctor I want to be, and when I say oncologist, they start listing every member of their family who's ever died of cancer. What am I supposed to say after a guy tells me his mother died of breast cancer? I'm sorry, would you like to talk about it?" Caroline glares when he erupts into laughter. "Not funny."

"I'm sorry, it's just that sounds like an awfully interesting conversation."

"Why is dating so hard? Am I too picky? Is it wanting a meet-cute too much? To wake up one day and ta-dam, the guy is there, right in front of me."

Something about Klaus' eyes soften just then. "If only it were that easy," he says, an almost wistful tone to his voice that gives Caroline pause.

Before she can dwell on it further, however, the gong sounds and it's time to move on.

"Here I go, then," he says in his American accent.

When her next prospect sits down, she's laughing at Klaus greeting the woman on the next table with a Hey, babe.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Here's to making the 1% 100 dollars poorer," Caroline says, raising her shot in the air before knocking it back.

"Cheers, I suppose," Klaus says dully, sipping from his bourbon.

"Oh, come on!" She bumps her shoulder against his as they sit side by side by the bar. "Don't look so gloomy. That's literally a pile of women in front of you," she says, nodding her head towards the cards sitting on the counter. "How many again?"

"Twenty nine," he grumbles.

"Twenty nine out of 40! That's more phone numbers than most guys will get in a year. Be proud."

"Of my deep cobalt eyes or my sultry lips? Yes, I heard both tonight."

Now it's Caroline's turn to explode into laughter while he just shakes his head helplessly.

"You don't have to be ashamed of your genetics, Klaus," she says. "It's not your fault some women are awkward flirters."

"Tell that to my stepfather." His tone visibly changes as he mentions Mikael, the dark clouds coming back to hover above his head.

Before it can get any worse, Caroline prods on. "So. How many of them are you going to call?"

"None."

"None?!" she gapes. "That's at least a month of guaranteed sex. A month where you won't have to watch porn, you can actually perform porn."

"Alright, you're making me sound like a deranged pervert," he objects. "I do not watch that much porn. That was one time and it is not my fault you lack proper etiquette when walking into someone else's bedroom."

Caroline chuckles. She did walk in without knocking, but, in her defense, it was 3 o'clock. What kind of person watches porn in the middle of the afternoon? She was blushing furiously for weeks before she decided to start teasing him instead as a way to diffuse the guilt. Luckily, he hadn't actually been doing... Anything. Although she did notice the suspicious volume in his pants. It was... Interesting.

"It's nice to make fun of you, though," she says. "That was the closest to a blush I've ever seen on your face."

"Whatever makes you happy, love."

"Seriously, though. Why are you not calling any of them?"

"These women think I'm one step away from being a caveman. It says more about them than it says about me that they're willing to give me their phone numbers."

She scoffs. "Don't be such a snob. They came here to get laid, too. You can't tell me you didn't like any of them."

"Well, there was one. But she didn't slip me her phone number."

Caroline' eyebrows crinkle together. "Really? That's kinda hard to believe."

"I guess your theory was flawed, after all."

"But it has been proved nonetheless. Which reminds me..." She lifts a hand, asking for another round. "I'm gonna drink all your money."

"My whole life has been a lie," Klaus says contemplatively. "I thought I had an enthralling personality, an interesting aura, that my wittiness made me charming, and now I find out I'm nothing but a pretty face."

"To be honest, you're also an endless pit of money." Klaus gives her a side eye, knocking back his drink. Caroline scrunches up her face in mock-pity. "Oh, boo-hoo. It's so hard to be handsome. Why are you so upset about that?"

"It's different when that is all you are. I've been deluding myself."

"Who said that's all you are?" Klaus turns to her with a pointed look. "No, that's not what I said. I said women would want to date you after five minutes because you're pretty, not that pretty is all you are." When he sighs, asking for another drink, still obviously unconvinced, she continues. "Look. My first real boyfriend was a total douchebag. He came across as funny and charming and thoughtful, but it was an act. He saw something he wanted and he knew he had to act a certain way to get it, because even at 17, I liked to think I had standards, even though I clearly didn't."

"Are you saying I'm also manipulative?"

"I'm saying, figuring out who people really are takes time. It takes twice as long if they're trying to impress you. You can take from this that all your relationships have been superficial and physical only, or you can believe that people came for the appeal and stayed for the content."

"Except no one has stayed. My temper seems to have a rather short expiration date, it drives people away. Just ask my brother." He punctuates his sentence with a wan smile, and Caroline understands, at last, that this is all somehow related to his family again.

She suddenly finds herself desperately at loss for what to say. Rebekah would offer something outrageous and mildly offensive that would still hit the nail on the head. Caroline just wanted him to have some fun, but instead she ended up pushing him right back to his bad place.

She considers apologizing, saying it was just teasing and she never really meant it, but what she winds up saying, however, is, "I'm still here, aren't I?"

Klaus looks up at her, a mix of surprise and something else she can't identify flickering through his eyes.

"Is that how you rationalize your relationships?" he asks.

She huffs out a little laugh. "I don't think that highly of myself. I'm a tall, long-legged blonde. That ticks some boxes, but it hardly makes me irresistible."

"I beg to differ, love. You're an exquisite beauty."

Caroline laughs a little, thinking he's obviously saying that just to be nice, but then she catches the look in his eyes, that intensity that always seems to rattle something deep inside of her. There's not a hint of condescension about him.

"I... Well..." she stammers, her cheeks burning hot. "Thank you."

"But that's not all you are. You're also strong, fierce, full of light. Anyone who fails to see what's underneath your stunning exterior is a fool." Caroline freezes under his stare, something almost reverent in the way he says it, a spark lighting up his face for maybe the first time in a month. It sends Caroline's pulse racing. She's suddenly very much aware of how close they are, the air around them simmering with energy, releasing a fresh batch of butterflies in her stomach. The room is a dozen degrees hotter than a second before, and Caroline doesn't know what to do, what not to do, thinks maybe she's had enough to drink already because her sense of reason is getting all fuzzy.

And then Klaus says, "I heard that on PornTube," and the tension eases off of her as the two of them crack up laughing together.

#klaroline #klaroline fanfiction #klaroline fic #kcbingo2020 #kc fic #kcfic #klarolinefic #kc fandom #klaus x caroline #yokan writes #fluff apparently

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jaehyunspeachparty · 4 years ago

Text

daddy jaehyun

iv.xii

"So, Ms. Jung. 8 weeks and your body has regressed really well." The gynecologist smiled and typed something on her PC. "I am glad to hear that." You smile and straighten your clothes after the examination, where you had to undress completely. "I honestly have to say that I was a little worried when you said you wanted to give birth with the twins at home. But apparently your bodies reacted much more stress-free." "I know, it was also much better at home. It was a unique experience." You smile and the doctor nodded. After everything has been discussed, you leave the practice and Jaehyun is already waiting for you. The matter with Matthew is still not very clear and the two of you are still very close to each other and Jaehyun didn't like to take his eyes off of you. "And is everything good?" He smiled softly and you nod. "Yes, everything has healed. Allegedly everything has receded." You put your bag down, but Jaehyun still didn't start to drive. "And? What did you choose?" You hadn't told him how to use contraception now because you wanted to hear the doctor’s opinion. "I have the IUD inside now." You smile gently and Jaehyun grins in relief. The vasectomy was a long talk, but yesterday you walk in the living room and saw him sitting on the couch with the twins on his lap. He talked, played with them and finally sang them a lullaby. You could watch it forever and asked yourself 'what if you still want to have a child with this great husband and father after all'? "Do you want more cute babies from me?" Jaehyun winked. "Oh, I don't know if I'm going to have another pregnancy ever again but I want to leave this opinion open." You laugh and Jaehyun got ready to go, but his phone rang and the number from the kindergarten appeared. "Hello?" Jaehyun turned on the speaker so you could listen too. "Hello Mr. Jung. I'm sorry to have to report, but there are problems with your son. He had an argument with another boy in his playgroup. Since he was pushed, he also had a small cut on his forehead, however everything is good but it would be better if you can pick him up." Jaehyun and you look at each other. "Okay, my wife and I are close anyway. We'll pick him up right away." Jaehyun hung up and drove off. But you weren't comfortable with the whole thing. You knew Sunoh was certainly heavily involved in the argument. "I can't believe a child hit Sunoh." Jaehyun was angry and was right on his son's side. "Hmm, don't you think Sunoh might have done something too?" Your heart really hurt when you thought about it. You feel so guilty that you got pregnant far too early. Maybe you should have taken your time, paid more attention to him.

Jaehyun and you came to kindergarten and you see Sunoh and the other boy who was a little younger, sitting in a corner. Sunoh had crossed his arms and was sulking. There was a colorful plaster on his forehead. When the boy saw you, he looked up and immediately ran to you. "Mummy." He started to cry and you take him in your arms. Jaehyun also stroked his head gently and checked whether he was okay. "Ms. and Mr. Jung, the other family will be there as well. Then we can talk." The kindergarten teacher smiled, but was still worried. Jaehyun just sighed annoyed. He was angry, which parents would raise such a child that pushes another child. You can already tell by his puffing that he was angry. That's why you carefully grip his upper arm and look at him seriously. "Wait before you hear the whole story." You couldn't believe Sunoh was pushed by a child who was almost a year younger. Your son was already big. "Where is he?" You hear a familiar voice and when you look up you see Jihe and Minhyuk come in and run to the other boy. "Oh my prince? Are you hurt?" The boy also starts to cry and snuggled into his mother's arms as well. "Minhyuk?" Jaehyun looked at him in surprise. "Is your son the one who pushed my son?" You look up at Jaehyun with concern. That sounded too passively aggressive. "And your son the one who bit my son?" Minhyuk came a little angry with him too. "Okay okay, let's wait. We don't need an argument between us now." You try to intervene and Jihe follows you. "Yes exactly, listen to Y/N." Then the two men turned and looked at you in amazement. "You know each other?" Minhyuk asked and the two of them nodded. But before you can tell more, the kindergarten director called you to the office.

The director explained that the son of Minhyuk and Jihe annoyed your son a bit, Sunoh bit him and the boy pushed him in response. "I know there are problems with both of them. But we do not tolerate such behavior." The director looked at you and you nod. "It will never happen again," assured Jihe and Jaehyun made the same clear too, but when you wanted to go. The woman called you over again. "Mr. and Mrs. Jung, I have something else to talk to you about." You look at Jaehyun with concern and he nodded before you both sit down again. "I have to tell you that Sunoh is very difficult. He often shows aggressive behavior and other parents have complained many times." "What? Did he bite other children?" You were totally shocked. "No, but he's crude and mean." "But he's only 2 years old. He's just going through a difficult period, we just have two newborns at home. It's not easy for him." Jaehyun also tried to defend his son. "We are a kindergarten with a very good reputation. Children from idols and politicians come to us. Unfortunately, a child like Sunoh does not fit to our ideology." The director sighed and looked at you, but you couldn't believe what she was saying. "Ideology? What is that nonsense? He's a bit stubborn, but because of this you want to expel him?" Your son was sitting on your lap and was so peaceful, you could hardly imagine that he was mean to all other children. He's not angry or violent, not even when he's arguing with Miga. "What should we do now?" Jaehyun was visibly annoyed too, he sighed and you knew he wanted to leave just like you. "Nothing for us anymore. Immediately Sunoh will no longer go to kindergarten." The woman looked at you sternly and you lacked the words. "What? We've paid a lot of money for you for years and now you can't deal with a bit defiant boy?" Jaehyun was really angry and you were glad that he spoke your thoughts. "I'm sorry, but other parents also pay a lot of money and they don't want to be afraid that another child will hurt their child." "I can't believe it ..." Jaehyun was so mad, you could see how his face turned red. How could they make his son look so bad? "Let's just go." You got up and Jaehyun took Sunoh from you.

"Does that still hurt?" Jaehyun asked his son when he put him in the child car seat. Sunoh grabbed his forehead and shook his head. "It's going to be maybe a little scar. But you will look very cool with it." Jaehyun winks and Sunoh started to giggle. He kissed his son and then went to the driver's seat. You are now sitting in the next seat and looking at your phone. You'd just like to cry now. But suddenly a message from Jihe appears. "Hey, I hope everything is okay with you. I'm sure the boys understand each other and have only fought a bit. Maybe we can all meet for a playdate." Her message was super cute and you were glad that at least they weren't angry. "Everything okay?" Jaehyun looked at you and you put your hand on your forehead. "I'm to blame. I wanted another baby and Sunoh wasn't actually ready for it." And suddenly you start to cry. "Hey, it's not your fault. We were a bit surprised by the twins." Jaehyun turned to you and took your hand. He gently stroked your skin with his finger. "I spend so much time with Geon and Kiwoo. I don't want Sunoh to think I don't want him." You couldn't stop crying. The whole thing with Sunoh worried you so much. "He needs time. He'll definitely be a good big brother." Jaehyun smiled softly and you nod. You take a look at your boy who was already asleep. He was so peaceful, you could never believe he was as bad as they described him.

daddy jaehyun masterlist

#jaehyun #daddy jaehyun #jaehyun scenarios #jaehyun imagines #nct #nct 127 #nct fluff #nct 127 fluff

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ibijau · 4 years ago

Text

Age reversal AU: part 1, part 2, part 3, on AO3

Nie Huaisang lets himself dream of the future, only to be brought back to reality.

warning for major character death, depression, and just everything being awful :)

In spite of the new understanding between himself and Lan Xichen, Nie Huaisang refused to change his priorities. No matter how many times Nie Mingjue tried to convince him to go spend time in the Cloud Recesses, for weeks Nie Huaisang would not abandon his duty. He had promised himself for years that his brother would not deal with the burden of power before his time had come, and he would not break that promise.

It was not just a wish for Nie Mingjue to have the youth he never had that motivated Nie Huaisang. He wanted his brother to have a chance to know himself and learn his limits, so he wouldn’t ignore the signs if things became too much for him, or if his body started to strain under the pressure. Nie Huaisang remembered their father’s death too well, and did not wish for his brother to go through that.

It was not a subject they liked to talk about. Nie Huaisang had seen too much, and he had failed to protect Nie Mingjue from some of what happened at that time. It felt simpler to pretend it never happened. And yet, as they continued preparing for the passing of power that would happen in a few months, Nie Huaisang decided they needed to have a serious talk about what he privately considered to be their family’s curse.

He asked his brother to join him one night for a walk on the walls that surrounded the Unclean Realm. Nie Mingjue readily agreed, and listened attentively as they strolled together and his brother explained, in greater detail than ever before, what it meant to be a Nie. When he was done, the sky was dark as ink above them, and the Unclean Realm uncommonly quiet below them.

“Have you ever come close to it?” Nie Mingjue asked after a long while.

Normally, Nie Huaisang would have joked or deflected the question. But that night was different, and his brother deserved honesty.

“I had a Qi deviation after my mother died,” he confessed. “I’m lucky Lan Qiren had come running when he heard about her, or it might have been over for me as well.”

Without warning, Nie Mingjue grabbed him and pulled him into a close hug. He really was too big for that, but Nie Huaisang gladly allowed it and returned the embrace, clinging to his brother. Even years later, it still scared him to think about what had happened then. He had come close to dying, Lan Qiren had told him later. That would have been bad enough already, but to die and leave Nie Mingjue to fend for himself would have been…

“It worries me a little,” Nie Mingjue admitted. “I don’t have the best of tempers…”

“An understatement.”

“What if I get too angry one day? What if something gets to me, like with Father, and then…”

Nie Huaisang held him closer, patting his back.

“What happened to father was special,” he reminded his brother. “What happened to me as well. Father was pushed toward this, you know losing a spiritual weapon could have that effect even on someone from another sect. And I was dealing with too much, without realising how bad things were. That’s why I always want you to go and have your fun. You need to know how it feels to be well and happy, so you’ll notice it when it stops.”

“You mean like you’ve done all these years?”

Nie Huaisang pulled away from the hug, and slapped his arm for his insolence.

“Disrespectful! I really got stuck with the worst little brother, always mocking me! Ah, I should really have forced Wangji to exchange with me when you and Xichen were little! It would have been nice to have a sweet and respectful little brother instead of a big brute like you!”

“It’d be more awkward to kiss him if he were your brother though,” Nie Mingjue pointed out, earning another light slap.

“Shameless! Woe is me, my brother is really the worst,” Nie Huaisang sighed, glad that it was dark enough to hide he was blushing. “You’re an awful little brat, I swear.”

Nie Mingjue laughed, too loud for this time of night, but Nie Huaisang didn’t bother scolding him.

“But really, how much of a risk is there?” Nie Mingjue asked after a moment, turning serious once more.

“Not too much,” Nie Huaisang replied. “Meditate a lot, cultivate responsibly, and act righteously, that should keep you safe for many years to come. We die earlier than most cultivators, but we still live longer than common people. Our grandmother ruled the sect until she was over a hundred! And when she was born, her father was already well into his eighties but not looking a day over twenty, or so everyone says. Our father was an exception. Live a good, balanced life, and you will be fine.”

“And you?”

Nie Huaisang laughed, and slapped his arm again.

“Stop worrying about me, I’ve told you it’s not your job!”

“No, I guess that will be Xichen’s,” Nie Mingjue retorted with a smug grin. “I’m going to write to him to take good care of you. I’ll tell him to make sure you meditate, and that you need to eat well, and…”

“You will do no such thing, you awful little brat!” Nie Huaisang gasped, his face burning as he reached up to press his hands against his brother’s mouth to silence him. “I can’t believe the nerve… if you do that, I’m not sending you to Lotus Piers next week! I am perfectly capable of making those negotiations myself, you know!”

Nie Mingjue licked the hand on his mouth, prompting Nie Huaisang to pull it away in disgust.

“On the way back from Lotus Piers, you can drop in Gusu,” Nie Mingjue teased. “And I’ll just have to invite Wanyin to come here to check some things with me while you’re making out with Xichen in the Cloud Recesses.”

“Shameless! I would never treat Lan Xichen with anything but the utmost respect, I assure you!”

“Trust me, he didn’t wait that long to be respected.”

Nie Huaisang gasped, horrified that his brother would cast such accusations against Lan Xichen’s excellent character. He started a long winded, mostly nonsensical rant against Nie Mingjue’s lack of respect for his elders, which went on until they were both laughing too hard to breathe. It felt needed, after having spent so much time on such a serious topic.

In the end, Nie Huaisang did go to Lotus Piers to negotiate some details of an alliance with Yunmeng Jiang. He also had to ask that Jiang Wanyin go to the Unclean Realm at his earliest convenience to check on further details that Nie Huaisang and him had not managed to agree on. Jiang Wanyin complained at length, even openly accusing Nie Huaisang of having made things difficult on purpose (a rightful accusation, Nie Huaisang had to help his brother) but he agreed in the end, grumbling that he’d been intending to go to Lanling anyway to visit his nephew.

Jiang Wanyin seemed to be doing better these days, or so Nie Huaisang thought. He wasn’t back to what he had been before the war and that mess with Wei Wuxian, but he also no longer looked as if he might burn the world around him at the slightest provocation. Hopefully, spending a little time in the Unclean Realm alone with Nie Mingjue would help him relax further.

Because Nie Huaisang, at last, had given in and agreed to spend some time in Gusu again. His brother had insisted that he wanted another chance to run things on his own before the big power change, and he had been so annoying about it that Nie Huaisang had let him have his way, as always.

It was, as always, delightful to spend time in the Cloud Recesses. Much like last time, Lan Xichen took him on walks in the mountains or inside the Recesses. Their goal was always a certain beautiful vista to paint, or a quiet place perfect for meditation.

Each time they did end up making out, as Nie Mingjue had so crudely put it, but Nie Huaisang would have insisted that was never the point of their excursions.

When they could not go out because of the weather, Nie Huaisang and Lan Xichen stayed in the Hanshi and planned for the future. The world was vast, and there were so many places they wanted to see. This mountain was reputed for its majestic landscape and as an excellent place for meditation. That valley was home to a painter of great renown. And that forest harboured many powerful creatures against which a young cultivator seeking to make a name for himself, even if he had to drag his poor lazy lover there.

Once or twice, Lan Qiren found them discussing those things. It was obvious he was not thrilled by the perspective of his younger nephew leaving the Cloud Recesses this way, though Nie Huaisang suspected it was less outright disapproval, and more because he dreaded being left alone with his other nephew. Nie Huaisang and Lan Xichen had already agreed that they would not start wandering right away, so everyone could be eased into this new situation.

Lan Qiren also took the chance to demand that they visit some isolated sect that had once copied volumes from Gusu Lan's library. Considering he was stealing away his better nephew, Nie Huaisang saw no reason to refuse that favour.

Nie Huaisang was getting to the end of his fourth week in Gusu and already preparing to head home when worrying news reached them concerning Lanling Jin. Xue Chengmei, already the source of so much tension, was rumoured to have slaughtered an entire sect through means yet to be determined.

At a normal time, this would have already been worrying news. But with Nie Mingjue alone and unsupervised in the Unclean Realm, who had been waiting for any excuse to stand up to Jin Guangshan…

Feeling a disaster coming, Nie Huaisang took his leave from his hosts and headed for Lanling.

The only surprising thing, Nie Huaisang thought later, was that Nie Mingjue had handled the situation with unexpected calm.

Because Nie Mingjue had not been able to leave the Unclean Realm right away while Nie Huaisang had flown faster than he ever had in his life, he arrived as little brother was only starting to confront Jin Guangshan for his disciple's crimes.

It wasn't an ideal way to deal with the situation, and it certainly wasn't how Nie Huaisang would have done it. But when Nie Huaisang was brought into Carp Tower's throne room, his brother was very calmly explaining that Xue Yang needed to be found and interrogated as quickly as possible.

Jin Guangshan, sitting on his throne, stared him down. Or at least tried to. Few people had what it took to actually intimidate Nie Mongjue, and Jin Guangshan definitely wasn't one of them. Poor Jin Guangyao, standing at his father's side, had the look of a man who knew this and wished he could be anywhere but where he currently was.

"I understand Nie gongzi's worry," Jin Guangshan stated in a mellow voice that was the surest way to annoy Nie Mingjue. “And I assure you that the appropriate measures will be taken, of course. But since Xue Yang is a member of my sect, I hardly see how that concerns you.”

At that point Nie Huaisang, whose arrival had yet to be announced, prepared himself to step forward so he could smooth things over while still making it clear that on general principle, Qinghe Nie would not drop that matter. Before he could say a word though, Nie Mingjue managed to surprise them all.

“As a matter of fact, it does concern Qinghe Nie,” he announced. “Chang zongzhu survived the massacre of his sect because he was Night Hunting. Upon discovering what happened to his people, he decided to come ask for our support in pursuing those who harmed his family and his disciples.”

Jin Guangshan glared at him, while Nie Huaisang had to open his fan to hide a grin.

“If Chang Ping suspects a disciple of ours, then he should have taken the matter to Carp Tower,” Jin Guangshan complained. “We would have received his grievance and started an investigation much earlier.”

“Because it was a Jin disciple who appeared to have attacked him, Chang zongzhu feared the attack had been ordered by you,” Nie Mingjue retorted.

“Of course that’s unlikely!” Nie Huaisang intervened, rushing ahead, still half hiding behind his fan. “I cannot imagine why Jin zongzhu would have held a grudge against such a small sect. And of course, there is Xue Chengmei’s reputation to take into account, he has never been the most reasonable of boys. Still, Qinghe Nie never turns its back on those who require its assistance.”

“And so we will look for Xue Yang,” Nie Mingjue added, smirking smugly now that his brother was there, supporting his choice. “We’ll make sure he is duly interrogated so there can be no doubt about Lanling Jin’s role in what happened.”

“Indeed, your innocence must be proven,” Nie Huaisang agreed. “We shall take great pain so the whole truth is uncovered. After all, our sects are allies, we want to help.”

Nie Mingjue snorted, the brat that he was, but Nie Huaisang simply lowered his fan and smiled innocently. He did his best to look just as stupid and uninterested as Jin Guangshan believed him to be, fanning himself lazily, knowing perfectly well that Jin Guangshan could hardly ask them to stop helping a man whose family had been slaughtered. Especially not when Chang Ping was known as something of a pushover who didn't have the spine to offend anyone, and thus couldn't have deserved such hatred.

In fact, Nie Huaisang had half a suspicion that it might have been his brother seeking Chang Ping to offer his help rather than the opposite. If so, he was insanely proud of Nie Mingjue for covering himself this well before pissing off Jin Guangshan.

His brother might have managed to learn some diplomacy after all, and he was using it in a way that suited his convictions.

Suddenly, Nie Huaisang was glad that he and Lan Xichen wouldn't be able to start travelling right away. Sect politics were going to become very interesting in the coming years, mostly because Nie Huaisang couldn't wait to see Jin Guangshan put in his place. And with the way Nie Mingjue seemed to be earning the support of smaller sects… the Jins were rich and powerful but they weren’t the Wens, not by far, and if enough other sects sided with Nie Mingjue… Not to mention they had the Lans on their side, albeit unofficially. And while Jiang Wanyin would not be able to openly oppose Jin Guangshan as long as Jin Ling was in his grandfather’s hands, he probably would be reluctant to support the Jins more than strictly necessary if trouble came up.

Not that Nie Huaisang expected that to happen.

Jin Guangshan had many faults, but he was far from stupid and he never took unnecessary risks if he could avoid it. So what would happen, Nie Huaisang figured, was that Jin Guangshan would wisely drop his recent talk of needing a Chief Cultivator, fully aware that Nie Mingjue was a lot more popular than himself in spite of not even being sect leader yet, he would let them punish Xue Chengmei who had been little more than a nuisance in spite of his skill at reproducing Wei Wuxian’s tools, and start looking for some new, less dangerous way of extending his power, giving them all a little peace while he figured that out.

Of this, Nie Huaisang was convinced, because he held Jin Guangshan’s intellect in higher regard than the man had ever done for him.

His opinion of Jin Guangshan was not shared by all, though. As Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang made their way to exit Carp Tower, Nie Huaisang heard his name called. He turned to find a breathless Jin Guangyao running their way, who all but begged for a chance to speak with Nie Huaisang, and him alone, before they left.

“I can hear anything you have to say to him,” Nie Mingjue said, glaring at his sworn brother. “Aren’t we all one big family or something?”

Jin Guangyao flinched, but Nie Huaisang almost laughed, knowing this was his brother’s attempt at being nice to a man he only tolerated these days.

“Of course we are,” Jin Guangyao said with a short bow. “But in this instance, I really must speak to Nie zongzhu alone.”

“Is it necessary?” Nie Mingjue insisted. “We have to head home. Your father isn’t polite enough to give us a room for the night, and I’d rather not spend a night in that vipers’ nest anyway.”

“Manners,” Nie Huaisang scolded him with a light slap with his fan. “And I’d thought you’d done so well today. Go ahead, A-Jue. Wait for me at that nice inn we went the other time, the one that has such good wine, I’ll meet you there when I’m done with A-Yao. I’m sure it won’t be very long, anyway.”

Predictably, Nie Mingjue grumbled at leaving his brother alone with Jin Guangyao, but ultimately obeyed so he wouldn’t have to end up spending time with his sworn brother. Nie Huaisang, who honestly also would have preferred to go home to plan their next move, followed Jin Guangyao into the gardens of Carp Tower.

Very quickly, he couldn’t help noticing that Jin Guangyao seemed oddly nervous, even compared to what had become usual for him since joining Lanling Jin. If Nie Mingjue had been with them it might have made sense, Jin Guangyao was far too observant not to know that his sworn brother still resented him for his past choices and liked to oppose him just for the sake of being contradictory. But Jin Guangyao had always been able to relax and be himself around Nie Huaisang, the two of them understanding that there was little need for pretences between them. They knew what they were, where they stood with each other.

“So, what is this about?” Nie Huaisang asked when he’d had enough of Jin Guangyao’s anxious glances and nervous silence. “Did you really have something to tell me, or was this just an excuse to enjoy my delightful company?”

“I had something to say,” Jin Guangyao admitted. “I am just trying to find how to say it when I know you won’t like hearing it.”

“Then you need to spend more time with my brother. He hardly ever opens his mouth without purposefully saying something to annoy me, that little brat.”

Jin Guangyao smiled weakly, and nodded.

“Nie zongzhu, you might not be the only one to feel this way,” he sighed. “Your brother has been… remarkably lacking in respect for his elders, hasn’t he?”

Nie Huaisang fanned himself lazily.

“My brother believes in respecting actions, not positions. Which gives him a pretty good excuse to only respect a few people, and as we’ve both seen your father is not on that list.”

Jin Guangyao grabbed his arm, tightly enough to surprise Nie Huaisang, and threw him a pleading look.

"Nie zongzhu, I beg you, you can't let your brother continue to antagonise everyone like this. I'll be the first to admit that this situation with Xue Yang is shameful for our sect, but you have to save my father some face. He is a sect leader, not some merchant to be bullied into obedience."

"A-Yao, you know better than me that,” Nie Huaisang protested with surprise. “I've never been any good at controlling my brother. When he wants something, he does it."

For a moment Jin Guangyao’s expression turned more desperate at that answer, before he promptly got himself back under control and smiled without conviction.

"That's not true. He respects you,” Jin Guangyao claimed, which was both very sweet of him, and very wrong in Nie Huaisang’s opinion, “and when you insist on something, he gives in to your orders, even if it's only after a fight."

"But first we have to fight,”Nie Huaisang pouted, “and I'm not too fond of that."

"Huaisang-ge, please…"

"Why would I fight with Mingjue on this, anyway?” Nie Huaisang asked, turning more serious. “His manners are usually bad, sure, because I raised him all wrong, but he's right about this. Xue Yang must be found and brought to justice, and we need to understand how he did this. We didn’t kill Wei Wuxian for this to happen again, A-Yao.”

“My father…”

“Your father needs to learn to play nice,” Nie Huaisang interrupted, closing his fan to tap it on Jin Guangyao’s shoulder. “Even if I intervened and forced Mingjue to back down this time, which I have no intention of doing, it would still be a matter of time before I lost that power. In three months my brother will be sect leader, so your father had better learn how to deal with that while I’m still here to smooth things over.”

“Huaisang-ge, please!”

“Times are changing, A-Yao,” Nie Huaisang said, opening his fan again. “I’ve been forced to make things easy for your father and all those old farts, but Nie Mingjue won’t need to. He has the legitimacy I’ve never had, he can do anything he pleases… and he has the temperament for it, as well. So if I may allow myself a word of advice… be careful which side you pick, if it really comes down to a fight between my brother and your father. Only one of them has shown willingness to value you for your true worth, and for all that he tries to be cold to you, I know he misses the closeness you used to share.”

Far from comforting Jin Guangyao, Nie Huaisang’s words appeared to make the younger man even more hopeless and nervous than before. Not for the first time, Nie Huaisang found himself wishing he had not given in so easily when his brother had asked him to recommend Jin Guangyao to Jin Guangshan. They just did not appreciate him in Carp Tower.

“Huaisang-ge, Nie zongzhu, I will not insist any further,” Jin Guangyao sighed. “Thank you for putting up with my attempt to bring reconciliation. If nothing else, I can now have peace of mind, knowing I tried my best.”

“Of course you did,” Nie Huaisang agreed. “A-Yao, no one knows better than me how hard you try, and I am very grateful to you. Still, sometimes, certain things can’t be avoided, because certain people are just too stubborn. It’s not your fault, so don’t blame yourself. As you said, you’ve done your best, and now things must just follow their natural course.”

It was Lan Xichen’s idea that the three of them should go on a Night Hunt together. As he pointed out, it was Nie Mingjue’s last chance to go wherever he pleased without needing to worry about responsibilities, and it would not hurt him to take down some powerful beast in his last days as a free man. And as it happened, a great demon tiger had been causing awful trouble in an western province of the country. It had never yet been fully defeated, but over the centuries some powerful cultivators had managed to send it hiding back to its den for a few decades here and there, always gathering great fame. Since they were all three extremely competent cultivators, who were smart enough to know their limits, there was little fear to be had for their safety. And should they fail to locate the demon tiger, they were sure to stumble upon some other prey to take down, or failing that to have a pleasant time in one another’s company.

Because as Lan Xichen sheepishly confided to Nie Huaisang in private when he arrived in the Unclean Realm to join his sworn brothers, Night Hunting was not the true purpose of their expedition.

In the weeks following the slaughter of Yueyang Chang, tensions had grown worse between Qinghe Nie and Lanling Jin. While this had to be expected, it also had the consequence of making Jin Guangyao’s life even worse. He tried not to complain about it, least of all to the Nie brothers, but Lan Xichen had learned that Jin Guangshan blamed his son for not being able to influence his youngest sworn brother, as well as for not having better controlled Xue Chengmei. Lan Xichen had not managed to make Jin Guangyao confirm this, but he had also seen bruises on his sworn brother, and suspected that Madam Jin was taking advantage of this fall from grace of her husband’s bastard to physically abuse him without consequences.

What Lan Xichen hoped for this Night Hunt was to push again for a reconciliation between his two friends. With just the three of them travelling together for a week or so, it would be hard not to have a conversation or two that might remind them why they used to be so fond of each other.

Nie Huaisang, who had noticed some of those things regarding Jin Guangyao and was appalled to learn of the rest, started wondering once more if the young man might not be convinced to return into Qinghe Nie. Clearly his stunt in Lanling Jin had brought him nothing but pain, whereas if Nie Mingjue gave him a second chance, they could make a devastating team together and pull the cultivation world in a better direction.

So Nie Huaisang gave Lan Xichen’s little scheme his full blessing, and stole a kiss for good measure.

It was a quiet week without Nie Mingjue around to bother him. Nie Huaisang was able to put finishing touches to the preparations for his brother’s rise to power, and even had time to go check on Chang Ping and his surviving disciples, who had been installed in a house in Qinghe. The poor man was living in terror of Xue Chengmei and Jin Guangshan, convinced that they would try to get rid of him to prevent him from testifying, should the young man be captured. Which he would be, Nie Huaisang promised them. He had heard that Xiao Xingchen and Song Zichen had recently sworn they would see Xue Chengmei brought to justice. Chang Ping did look a little better after getting the news.

The day after that visit was when the three young men that Nie Huaisang absolutely refused to call the Venerated Triad, lest it went to their head, should have returned to the Unclean Realm. It didn’t particularly worry him when they didn’t. If they hadn’t found their demon tiger, then they might have decided to stay a little longer in the area not to return empty handed. Lan Xichen might have been hoping for reconciliation, but Nie Mingjue took his Night Hunts seriously.

Another day passed without news, and Nie Huaisang still refused to worry. If he started fretting, Nie Mingjue would hear about it when he returned and tease mercilessly for being a mother hen.

On the third day after the proposed date of their return, Nie Huaisang did fret a little, and sent a disciple to go check the area where the young men had gone to Night Hunt. He would deal with Nie Mingjue’s teasing when it would turn out they had just gotten lost on the way home.

On the morning of the fourth day, Nie Huaisang was woken up before dawn by someone barging into his room. Before he could comprehend what was happening, he had already grabbed the dagger he slept with and slashed toward the intruder.

“Nie zongzhu, you have to come!” cried a voice he recognised as one of his disciples who were less likely to try to murder him in sleep. “It’s your brother!”

“Where?” Nie Huaisang snarled, grabbing the man by the collar, forgetting the blade still in his hand.

“In, in the courtyard, they just arrived. But he… N-Nie zongzhu, he’s....”

Nie Huaisang pushed him aside and dashed out of his room, keeping his dagger close in case this was a very stupid last minute plot to overthrow him and his brother.

When Nie Huaisang arrived into the main courtyard, the amount of people present at such an early hour told him that something was deeply wrong indeed. Several of them were shouting orders, quite a few were crying. All those who spotted him, in nothing but his underwear and with a blade in hand, had a look of terror that he wasn’t quite used to causing in others. As he walked toward the main group of people, they all made way for him, watching him as if he were a rabid beast.

He stopped paying attention when he arrived at the reason for that commotion.

There were two bodies laying on the ground. The first wore clothes that must have once been white, but had turned dark from blood and grim. Healers were hard at work around that figure, but Nie Huaisang barely paid attention to it because next to Lan Xichen was…

“Why aren’t you helping my brother?” he hissed, pulling one of the healers by the collar and pushing him toward Nie Mingjue. “He’s right there, look at him!”

The man scrambled away from him. Away from Mingjue as well, as if he couldn’t see the deep gashes in his body, and how pale he looked. At least he wasn’t bleeding, Nie Huaisang hysterically thought. If he wasn’t bleeding anymore, then it had to mean they had treated his wounds already. It wasn’t enough though. They should have been sharing spiritual energy to help him. Anyone, all of them, Nie Huaisang would have drained them of their Qi to the last drop so his brother would stop looking like that.

So the people around Nie Huaisang would stop staring at him as if he were a beast ready to strike.

“Help him!” he roared. “Help my brother!”

“Nie zongzhu, look at him.”

Nie Huaisang turned to glare at the person who had spoken, one of his father’s uncles. One of the few elders against whom Nie Huaisang didn’t hold too much of a grudge. The old man knew it, too, and maybe that was what made him brave enough when everyone else cowered in fear.

“Nie zongzhu, your brother is dead.”

Nie Huaisang felt something snap inside of him.

His brother. His Mingjue, his A-Jue, the boy he had raised.

His brother, pale and broken on the ground.

His brother, dead.

His brother, whom he had failed.

Nie Huaisang felt a rage and sorrow unlike anything he had ever experienced seized him.

The last thing he remembered, before the rage took him over, was raising his dagger to attack the uncle who had given him the news he never wanted to hear.

Nie Huaisang survived his Qi deviation.

He didn’t want to, but others saved him against his will.

His disciples, when they managed to subdue him. Even in a state of rage, he was no match for real Nie cultivators.

The Lans when they arrived, alerted of what had happened as soon as the wounded young men had reached the Unclean Realm. Lan Qiren and Lan Wangji took turns between playing their cursed songs to him and caring for Lan Xichen.

His own traitorous body, too used to surviving everything to know when to give up. As if it didn’t realise that the very reason why he had survived it all was now gone.

Nie Huaisang lived, and found it regretful.

When they deemed him well enough for an explanation, they gave Nie Huaisang a calming drug and allowed Jin Guangyao to explain to him what had happened.

The Night Hunt had started normally. They had reached the area in which the demon tiger was rumoured to live, and had indeed found many traces of its presence. They had carefully planned how to attack it, basing their choices on descriptions of past fights against the beast.

Those plans had been quickly ruined by an unexpected fog that fell upon them out of nowhere, so fast that before the three of them could realise what happened, they had lost track of one another. Jin Guangyao described how he had wandered in the fog for what felt like hours, until a heavy smell of blood caught his attention. He followed it, only to find Nie Mingjue prostrated on the ground, next to the carcass of an enormous tiger.

When Jin Guangyao stepped closer, Nie Mingjue attacked him.

At that point, Nie Mingjue was already gravely wounded, enough so that the blood loss and intense emotions could easily have combined to cause a Qi deviation in him. And in such a state, he would surely have killed Jin Guangyao if Lan Xichen hadn’t arrived in time.

“He tried everything,” Jin Guangyao told Nie Huaisang in a weak voice. “Huaisang-ge, he did his best, but Mingjue was attacking him without reserve while Xichen didn’t want to hurt him and… He did his best, I swear he did his best. He did all that he could. But in the end, Mingjue only stopped because he…”

He couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Even through the drug, Nie Huaisang did not want to hear it.

“Xichen was so badly wounded!” Jin Guangyao cried, unable to stop his tears. “I thought I would lose him as well, but the fog cleared, and I was able to send a distress signal, but… there are no sects there, and I was tired too, so tired. We were rescued by some passing farmers and I tried to send a message. Huaisang-ge, I swear I tried my best! I managed to pay for us to be brought to the nearest city, and there we met with some cultivators from Moling Su who were coming for the tiger as well. They helped us return to the Unclean Realm, we simply couldn't have done it without them, and… and you know the rest. I tried, Huaisang-ge! I tried but we couldn’t stop Mingjue, we just couldn’t!”

Nie Huaisang ignored his tears, and his cries about trying his best.

Someone like Jin Guangyao, how could he even have hoped to stop Nie Mingjue who at fifteen was stronger than most adults could ever dream to be? Of course Jin Guangyao had not managed. No, the one who should have been strong enough, the one who could have saved Nie Mingjue from himself was Lan Xichen, brilliant and strong and talented beyond measure. Lan Xichen had failed, when Nie Huaisang had trusted him with the only thing that mattered in his life.

For a second, Nie Huaisang almost hated Lan Xichen.

Then he remembered that Lan Xichen, after two weeks, was only slowly starting to regain consciousness. He had nearly died, trying to save Nie Mingjue.

Nie Huaisang could have lost them both.

He did, in a manner. There would be no travelling the world together now. Nie Huaisang would never escape this title he had always hated.

This was his life now and until his last day.

A fitting punishment for letting his brother die.

Nie Huaisang missed his brother’s funeral, still too weak from his Qi deviation to attend. Jin Guangyao assured him that Nie Mingjue had been honoured in all the ways that could be done, that there hadn’t been one unaffected person in the crowd. He might have been young, he might not have been in power yet, but Nie Mingjue was mourned as deeply as if he had ruled his sect half a century, Jin Guangyao claimed, and he cried as well, missing his friend.

Nie Huaisang did not cry, but he appreciated Jin Guangyao’s tears.

Around the Unclean Realm, the world kept moving. Xue Chengmei was found and brought before Jin Guangshan by Xiao Xingchen and Song Zichen. But by then, Chang Ping had already withdrawn his original statements against the young man, and so Xue Chengmei was declared innocent of what had happened. A little while later, the temple to which Song Zichen had belonged was slaughtered. Neither Song Zichen nor Xiao Xingchen were heard of again after this. Xue Chengmei went back to terrorising the people of Lanling, knowing he had the full power of the Jin sect protecting him. When Chang Ping was tortured to death by an unknown assailant, no one dared say a word.

Not openly, any way.

Early on, right after Xue Chengmei’s arrest, some of the smaller sects had tried to see if Nie Huaisang would demand justice, the way his brother had once promised to do. But he was not Nie Mingjue, nor would he ever be. They could all tear one another apart, Nie Huaisang would not have moved a finger, for or against anyone, as long as his brother’s sect was left alone.

The world outside the borders of Qinghe Nie’s territory could have burned and Nie Huaisang wouldn’t even have cared enough to watch.

He saw nobody from outside his sect, delegating matters that required interactions with strangers to whoever he hated less that day.

He saw nobody, save Jin Guangyao.

At first, it was a twisted need to understand that pushed Nie Huaisang to tolerate him when he couldn’t bear to see anyone. He made Jin Guangyao retell the death of his brother again and again, desperate to figure out all the ways he could have been saved, if only they had known what to expect. Jin Guangyao told the story ten, twenty, thirty times before he broke one day and begged Nie Huaisang to stop asking him.

Nie Huaisang, who felt nothing anymore, managed to find some pity for that young man who had seen a friend die.

He stopped asking for that story.

It did not matter anyway, because soon after, Jin Guangyao stopped coming so often.

Jin Guangshan had died, and his only adult son inherited his title.

Nie Huaisang did not attend that funeral either. On his next visit, Jin Guangyao told him that it had caused great gossip, but that he had taken his old friend’s defence as well as he could.

“I understand your loss, even if they don’t,” he said.

If Nie Huaisang had still known how to feel, he would have laughed. Jin Guangyao did not understand, not really. Nobody could. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered.

The world was moving on, but Nie Huaisang couldn’t.

It did not matter to him when Xue Chengmei was finally executed for his crimes. It did not matter when Jin Guangyao was named Chief Cultivator at a Discussion Conference that Nie Huaisang refused to attend.

Nothing mattered.

Without Nie Mingjue in it, the world wasn’t worth anything.

A few days before the anniversary of the worst day in Nie Huaisang’s life, Lan Xichen came to the Unclean Realm, asking to see its sect leader.

Nie Huaisang thought of refusing.

He should have refused.

After nearly a year without any emotions, Nie Huaisang broke into tears at the sight of the man with whom he had thought of spending the rest of his life, a man he hadn’t seen once since that fateful morning where he’d been lying on the ground next to Nie Mingjue. At least, he had received Lan Xichen in his private quarters rather than the throne room. At least nobody saw him cry the way he hadn’t been able to all this time. Nobody could judge him when he fell into Lan Xichen’s arms to sob.

Lan Xichen stumbled under his weight but held him close.

“I have come to talk about something,” Lan Xichen explained, pulling him toward a sofa and making both of them sit there. “You will not like hearing it anymore than I will like saying it. And you must promise you won’t interrupt me until I’m done speaking. Can you do that, Huaisang-ge?”

His head tucked against Lan Xichen’s neck, Nie Huaisang weakly nodded.

“It’s about that Night Hunt we went on,” Lan Xichen explained as he took Nie Huaisang’s hands in his own. Of course it was. What subjects were there left to talk about, after everything else had been taken from them? “I’m sure Jin Guangyao must have told you most of it already. For a long while, I couldn’t remember much myself. I didn’t really want to remember. But I was bedridden so long, I didn’t have much else to do except think about it. And the more I thought about it, the odder it was.”

He paused, his hands squeezing Nie Huaisang’s.

“First, there was that fog. Nobody had warned us against that, and the area wasn’t the sort of place where fog just happens so suddenly. It could have been the demon tiger, but none of the texts I had read before or since mention such a thing. And it was such thick fog too. At the time, I was too worried about Mingjue and Jin Guangyao to think too much about it, but I believe there was something very odd about that fog, and it should have alerted me. Especially after I heard that guqin.”

“What?”

“You promised you’d let me talk without interrupting,” Lan Xichen gently reminded Nie Huaisang. “Please, if you distract me, I’ll forget something.”

Nie Huaisang nodded, and Lan Xichen resumed.

“I thought I was hallucinating at first,” he explained. “No ordinary person would have been playing music in a place like this, at a time like that. It had to be a cultivator then. But aside from the Lans, nobody uses music on Night Hunts. Well, not until recently. I will get back to that,” Lan Xichen promised, his voice turning fierce for a brief moment. “On that day, I was just curious. I decided to follow the music. It was a very odd melody, you know. I didn’t like it at all. It made me feel like something was clawing at the inside of my skull, especially to upset me. The closer I got, the angrier I felt, like I might just… just grab something fragile and break it simply so it’d be broken. But I had lost my friends, and there was nothing except the fog, so I continued walking toward the music. And that’s how I found Mingjue.”

He shivered at the memory, while Nie Huaisang closed his eyes. Hearing that story from Lan Xichen felt different from when it had been Jin Guangyao telling it. Nie Huaisang wanted it to stop. He wanted Lan Xichen to go away and leave him to his grief.

But he had promised, and so he listened.

“The fog wasn’t so thick there,” Lan Xichen remembered. “The first thing I saw was a tiger, enormous. Dead. And next to it, there was Nie Mingjue, crying blood and with his hands on his ears. The music was so strong there. Not without reason. The person playing the guqin was there, not far behind Jin Guangyao. I didn’t really manage to see his face, but I’m almost sure it was a man, one dressed in white. But when I tried to get closer, Jin Guangyao saw me and shouted my name, and that other man ran away with his music. Even back then I wanted to ask Jin Guangyao about it, but Nie Mingjue too noticed me and he…”

Lan Xichen paused again, longer this time. When he spoke again, his voice cracked.

“He tried to kill me. Something was wrong with him, Huaisang-ge. They’d done something to him and he wasn’t himself, and he tried to kill me. I swear I only defended myself, I swear I didn’t hurt him! I tried to just escape, but he was relentless! And I was so upset and I… I don’t remember so well what happened then. I was so upset, I felt like I could still hear that awful melody and it made me so… but I didn’t attack him, I swear I didn’t attack him!”

“Of course you didn’t,” Nie Huaisang whispered. “You could never do that.”

Lan Xichen shivered.

“I don’t really know what happened after that. He hit my head I think. Or maybe I just passed out. He was still alive when I passed out. And then… then I don’t know. I just remember waking up in the Unclean Realm, and not remembering anything. Not at first. Not until my uncle and brother took me back home, and I started getting better. And they’d told me what had happened, what Jin Guangyao told them, but it didn’t quite fit with what I remembered. I didn’t know what to think at all. But I knew that I couldn’t stop thinking about that melody. It wouldn’t leave me alone, I heard it even in my sleep. So I told my uncle, of course. I hummed the song for him, in case he knew it.”

He sighed, deeply.

“He didn’t. Not… not quite. Not really. He said it was familiar, like he might have encountered it, but he was almost certain he’d never actually heard it played. He said it sounded wrong, like something that should never be played for anyone. He said I should try to forget about it, but I couldn’t. Meditation didn’t help. Cleansing didn’t help. Nothing worked, I always had it on the back of my mind, driving me almost crazy. So as soon as I was well enough, I decided to investigate a little. And I found… I found something. Not quite what I was looking for, but not quite not it. If that makes sense?”

His eyes still closed, Nie Huaisang nodded against the younger man’s neck. It made sense, as much as anything made sense anymore.

“I found it in the restricted section of our library,” Lan Xichen explained, his hands almost painfully tight on Nie Huaisang’s. “A collection of dangerous songs from abroad. None of them was exactly the one I had heard, but a few seemed to be awfully close to it. I thought it was very curious. I found it even more curious when I realised that one page had been very carefully removed. It really was odd, because these songs… they’re very bad songs, Huaisang-ge. Songs to kill, songs to block a person’s energy… worse things still. And I could still hear that song, all the time, and those other ones were right there before me, with clear instructions on how to perform them to get their full effect, so I thought I’d try to see what my song was supposed to do. And I did that. I figured out how it was meant to be played, and I tried it on myself.”

“No!” Nie Huaisang gasped, tearing himself from Lan Xichen.

“Yes,” Lan Xichen confirmed with a weak smile. “It was a few months ago. I had just started to recover from that Night Hunt, and I caused myself to have a Qi deviation. Uncle was furious at me, after. He called me reckless when I was well enough to explain what I’d done. He didn’t like too much that I almost died twice in less than a year.”

Nie Huaisang stared at him.

Jin Guangyao, during one of his visits, had mentioned that Lan Xichen’s recovery didn’t seem to be going as well as might have been hoped, that he hadn’t been able to see him when he had gone to the Cloud Recesses a little after becoming sect leader.

“You little fool!” Nie Huaisang hissed.

“I had to know,” Lan Xichen retorted, taking Nie Huaisang’s hands again. “And I could not have tried that song on another person, it would just have been too cruel. Because it is a very awful song, Huaisang-ge,” he added, his expression turning dark. “I still hear it to this day. And I think I was very lucky on that Night Hunt. I think the person who played it wasn’t skilled enough, or else I too would have had a Qi deviation back there. But I was too far to feel the full effect, while Mingjue was right there.”

“No.”

“I couldn’t have invented that song,” Lan Xichen calmly insisted. “I’m not that creative. And isn’t it interesting that Jin Guangyao never mentioned it, nor the man I saw with him? But he did say that he met with some people from Moling Su after, and hasn’t he told everyone how they were the heroes, how they saved us? It’s really funny, you know. Because Moling Su is a very young sect of course, and Su Minshan, who founded it, used to be one of our disciples, and now they’re the only other sect to really use musical cultivation.”

“No,” Nie Huaisang roared, jumping to his feet.

Lan Xichen threw him a look so full of sympathy it hurt.

“I told you that you wouldn’t like what I had to say, Huaisang-ge. But I’ve said it anyway. Now it’s up to you if you believe me or not.”

“A-Yao wouldn’t!” Nie Huaisang cried out. “He was Mingjue’s friend, his sworn brother! He was… He is…”

“He was always so dedicated to his father,” Lan Xichen pointed out, hands on his knees, still looking at Nie Huaisang with that same unbearable pity. “You’re the one who told me that Jin Guangyao had made his choice, do you remember? And Mingjue… Mingjue was causing such problems for Jin zongzhu. Everyone was saying that if Jin zongzhu really tried to push for his idea of a Chief Cultivator, it was almost certain that Mingjue would be chosen instead of him. I know I’ve heard a few people say they were just opposing the idea until Mingjue became sect leader, and then they would agree and vote for him.”

“No.”

No, but yes, Nie Huaisang realised, because he’d had that exact thought as well, and he’d been stupid enough to gloat at the idea of his little brother rising so fast, so high. He had known that Nie Mingjue was a category above all other men, it had always been an evidence to him, even when his brother had been little, and he had been excited to see what would become of him. It had not occurred to him that there would be people who would burn a treasure if they couldn’t possess it.

No, but Nie Mingjue had tried to warn him again and again that Jin Guangyao couldn’t be trusted. And Nie Huaisang, confident in his capacity to see right through people, had thought he understood Jin Guangyao in a way his brother didn’t. He had thought that between children of whores, in a world that couldn’t forgive such a crime, they would never turn against each other. He had thought that Jin Guangyao understood how much Nie Mingjue mattered to him, how for a decade he had never done anything without thinking how it would affect Nie Mingjue.

And perhaps Jin Guangyao did understand that, a little too well in fact.

They must have laughed, Jin Guangshan and him, when their plans had been so successful, taking the Nie sect out of the game entirely now that Nie Mingjue was gone and Nie Huaisang broken.

“I trusted him,” Nie Huaisang hissed.

“I know,” Lan Xichen said. “And I… Huaisang-ge, I am so sorry. I know I am beyond forgiveness for the part I played in this, but…”

“Your part?”

Lan Xichen smiled sadly, and rose from the sofa.

“This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t tried so hard to make them be friends again. If I hadn’t suggested this Night Hunt… then Mingjue would still be alive, wouldn’t he? But I gave Jin Guangyao the occasion, and I let him separate us, I wasn’t there when he hurt Mingjue so badly and…”

He paused, wiping tears he couldn’t stop.

“I’m sorry, Huaisang-ge,” he whispered. “I know this is my fault. I shouldn’t have pushed so hard for it. I just wanted my friends to get along! And now this happened and… but he won’t get away with it! I swear, Huaisang-ge, I swear I won’t let him get away with it. He killed my friend, my sworn brother, I can’t let him get away with it.”

Nie Huaisang stared at him, this young man he used to love, back when he still felt emotions. This young man he still loved, though it would have been easier not to.

Jin Guangyao hadn’t killed him, but what he had done to him was hardly any better. To use his kindness and good will to plot the murder of Lan Xichen’s oldest friend, to make him feel responsible for this horror…

“He will pay,” Nie Huaisang agreed, coming closer to Lan Xichen to pull him in his arms. “He will pay for everything.”

For Nie Mingjue. For Lan Xichen. For all those who had suffered for his ambition.

Jin Guangyao would pay, even if Nie Huaisang had to set the world on fire to get there.

#xisang #nie huaisang #nie mingjue #lan xichen #jin guangyao #mdzs #this is like 75% awful stuff so plz ignore if you want to pretend this AU is happy #tbh I almost changed my plans because damn it they could have been happy #but I'm a monster and I like to hurt people #also yes this is the end! I never planned to write past that point #jau writes #age reversal AU

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serararku · 4 years ago

Text

Where the Wild Things Are Pt 5

<Theme>

The Elders claimed they needed time to prepare. As for what they were preparing for, was never mentioned. They refused to see her until they were good and ready, so she had no choice but to wait around until the time came. Vahli gave her permission to move about the territory at her leisure in the meantime. As a bonus, he let her know she was under no obligation to pleasure him either, much to his chagrin; she couldn't be their emissary if she was pregnant. Unbeknownst to Vahli, Era had brought a tonic from Ul'dah that prevented him from getting her pregnant in the first place.

Needless to say she wasn’t about to let him know about it.

Her plan was to integrate herself into her tribe and see if she could garner support for her radical ideals; no wife should be forced to stay within the territory if she didn’t want to, and no Tia should be forced to leave if he’d prefer to stay. Era couldn’t just outright blurt out her wishes lest she risk Vahli attempting to keep her under lock and key. But if she could plant the seeds of dissent and independence, by this time next moon she’ll be able to keep both her family and her lover in her life. It was a good plan. The perfect plan.

The Tia Keeper was not a man to be trifled with. He had one sole duty- to train the young boys in the ways of hunting, surviving, and combat, so they could one day become Nunhs themselves. He was also the only obstacle she had to pass in order to see Vrenn, the last brother she had left in the tribe. Phalo didn’t bother rising to his feet when he heard someone climbing up the rope ladder to his domain. The old Miqo’te simply closed his eyes and grumbled, choosing to turn in his seat and wait for his visitor. Two black ears popped out from the hatch before Era’s pale face and sugary smile made their grand entrance. He was just as grouchy as she remembered, only his body looked even worse for wear; the gnawed stub that used to be his left elbow was still uncomfortable to stare at for too long, and he must have finally tired of his twisted foot, as a wooden table leg was strapped to his leg as a replacement. The only thing that had yet to fade was his spectacular vision- coupled with his peerless experience, he was the best sentry of the tribe, and the only one willing to train the Tia for their lives beyond the border. Unfortunately for her, Phalo was too old to care about anything else- especially the fickle wishes of a woman barely a third of his age; her feminine charm had no power here. “How can we be of service, tribewife?”

Era tilted her head at the condescending tone, but she kept smiling. “I just want to know if you have everything you need?”

“Need?” He repeated, watching her every move like a hawk. “We ain’t starving to death. Is that all you came for?”

A sharp inhale later and her smile was gone. “I… actually wanted to see if Vrenn was able to talk? I haven’t seen him since I left-”

“He’s training.” Phalo grumbled, finally pulling himself out of his chair. “Them boys don’t need the tribewives bothering them with their talking and feelings. Tia don’t have the time for any of that nonsense. It makes them weak, and weakness will kill them. If there’s nothing else… you may leave.” He was right of course; a Tia couldn’t afford discussing their feelings if they were to harden into the coldblooded killer they needed to be. There wasn’t a Tia alive in the tribeless cities that wasn’t more or less broken- Thalen remained the most hardened Tia she knows, and even he has his own fair share of emotional baggage. To become a Nunh is to deny one’s propensity for compassion, for trust, for love... a cruel tale as old as time.

"It was nice seeing you again, Phalo... I hope to see more of you soon." She gave him a polite bow before turning to leave, with the old man simply giving her a low grunt as he sat back down. Era didn’t want Vrenn to go get himself killed trying to become a Nunh. Now that she’s seen what life is like in the tribeless cities, she wanted to at least know he had options; watching the boys he raised for generations vanish as soon as they were old enough must be hard. They had to hunt by themselves, bathe by themselves, and survive by themselves- a tribe within a tribe. Such zealous independence was ingrained in the old Miqo'te, and soon it would be an integral part in the Tia he nurtured too.

"Who was that?" Called out a timid voice from above. Phalo shot his permanent glare skyward at the young boy hanging out of his hammock.

"A distraction." He grumbled, returning his attention to the back of Era's head as she slowly disappeared down the path. "Get back to sleep or you'll fall behind on your lessons."

It wasn't the last time she tried to speak with the Tia Keeper, but subsequent attempts got little more than an angry grunt out of him or a few curt words. Eventually she gave up, finally giving Phalo the peace he so sorely needed. Era spent the rest of the week helping the other wives with the daily chores; washing the clothes, cleaning the camp, inspecting the tents and blankets, patching up holes wherever they were found, and of course, keeping the children out of trouble. As both the newest wife and the one with the least experience handling kittens, naturally the women took advantage of Era's eagerness to learn and would often hand over their children for hours so they could take a break. Neither the kittens nor Era minded; they were all more than eager to ask about the world beyond the territory, and she was more than happy to oblige them.

That is until she overheard them talking about her behind her back. Era then made the mistake of trying to confront them on it, greatly underestimating how vengeful, petty, and manipulative they are; now that the ruse was over, they were encouraged to be passive-aggressive within earshot, or even openly hostile right to her face.

"It's because Vahli hasn't stopped talking about you." Her mother calmly explained as she weaved another dried flower into a kitten's hair. Era and her closest sister Umi sat on either side of their mother, with impatient little girls fidgeting in their laps, waiting for their new hairstyles to be done. There were no barbers in the Zu Tribe- everyone was responsible for their own maintenance; yet it was forbidden for little girls to cut their own hair until they’ve seen their twelfth summer. The only way to keep it from dragging along the ground was to keep it braided, and that task currently fell upon Yuun, Umi, and Era. “They’re worried you’re on your way to becoming the Favored Wife, especially since you just returned to us. It bothers them that such a coveted title appears to be passed down from me to my firstborn daughter.”

“I suppose that makes sense…” Era mumbled under her breath, her fingers getting sore from messing with hair for so long. The kitten in her lap kept squirming and wiggling in her lap, eager to go play with her sisters and cousins, but Era was prepared to wrap her legs around the girls waist and pin her down if she tried to escape.

“It’s still not fair.” Umi chimed in, weaving and braiding her kitten’s hair without even looking. "Just because you're superior in every imaginable way doesn't give them the right to belittle you." All Era could do was scoff at her younger sister; not for one second did she believe herself to be better than her tribekin. She could barely braid hair, had no children of her own, no desire for them either, has yet to successfully hunt large prey, zero intention of pleasing her Nunh, plus she was stubborn and rebellious. Hardly qualities she would consider for such a coveted title of Favored Wife.

Their mother remained indifferent to Umi’s flattery. "He hasn't given her that title yet. But when he does… they will have to answer to you, Era. Whether they like it or not."

"I don't want to be the Favored Wife…" Era mumbled under her breath, but her sister and mother still heard it. "I mated with him so he would listen to my pleas and hopefully let me do what I want… but he wouldn't let me out of his sight if he decided-"

"There's still time for the others to impress him… but judging by how much he's fawning over you…" Their mother let her sentence teeter off, as the little kitten squirming in her lap was finally released. One by one the children rose to their feet and swarmed each other; they giggled and cooed at their new braids, touching and poking one another with excitement hanging off their voices. Three down, twelve to go.

Then suddenly a braid collapsed and her hair fell to the ground; Era's cheeks flushed red at her sloppy braidwork, but the kitten only glanced at them in terror, before scampering off with her two sisters- she wasn't about to sit still for another bell if she could help it!

"Delka Rarku! Get back here right now!" Their mother jumped to her feet and gave chase, vanishing around the corner to the sound of excited squeals and laughter.

Era flexed her sore fingers in silence; working with such soft hair was murder on her hands, and ever since she shoved one hand in a fireplace and the other scorched by her own burning blade, she never could fully close any of her fingers. But it made holding a katana easier at least- she was incapable of gripping the hilt too tightly, and therefore her wrists and forearms got off easy.

"Is it true you don't want to be the Favored Wife? How come?" Umi asked once her curiosity and interest reached their boiling point. Unfortunately she didn't have the heart to tell her the truth; she loved her sister with all her heart, but Umi didn't have a good history of keeping secrets. Gossip was typically the main source of entertainment the wives had, and rumors often spread like wildfire.

"I'm still learning the Way of the Blade, and my mentor can't teach me here. I have to return to the tribeless cities if I want to become a better swordsman." Era gave her the most reassuring smile she could manage- technically it wasn't a lie, but she could be cut off from training the day she comes back and it wouldn't bother her one bit as long as R'zevi was waiting for her.

"Then… could you teach me?" Her younger sister asked softly.

"How to use a katana?"

"No… I mean… you know…" Umi struggled to maintain eye contact, her cheeks and neck flushing scarlet.

Her eyes flickered in the sunlight. "Ohhh, you mean… pleasing Vahli? I'd love to teach you everything I know. When is it your turn with him?"

"Tomorrow night, after Haelsa." She quickly answered.

Era gave her a bright smile. "Plenty of time. You will have him melting in the palm of your hand, Umi. I promise." Getting her sister to become the Favored Wife would be victory three-fold; less obsession by Vahli, less animosity from her tribekin envious of her influence, and Umi gets what she’s so feverishly craved ever since both her and Era were kittens. She could control Vahli in ways Era wouldn’t dare to venture again, and with her unyielding support, she could remain in R’zevi’s arms for as long as she liked- and she would like that for the rest of her days.

“Era! Hahh… hahh…!” Someone out of breath came calling her name from the bottom of the hill in the middle of Umi’s excited and anxious giggling. Both sisters sat up straight to see the shamed Tia almost collapsed in the dirt; Denoh kept his gaze to the dust beneath his feet, but the urgency in his exhausted voice demanded Era’s attention. “The Elders…! Hahh… hahh…! They summon you!”

“Huh…? What do they want with you?” Umi narrowed her eyes at the conquered before shooting a glance at her sister.

Era didn’t have time to explain. Butterflies panicked in her twisting stomach when she shot to her feet. “It’s a long story… I’ll catch you later! Tell mom I said goodbye!” Umi opened her mouth to speak, but Era was already rushing down the side of the hill. Denoh began shuffling back from the direction he came, but the tight shackles around his ankles kept him from going anywhere quickly. She said nothing when she caught up then promptly left him in the dust, as she already knew where to go. There was only one place in Valhaas Barrow that the Elders could be found.

“No glaive. No keepsakes. No justice. But at least my inner demons are going to be addressed.”

---

Mentions: @rzevi-tia-ffxiv

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bunnylouisegrimes · 4 years ago

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Episode 7 Review (BACK AT IT AGAIN WITH LOW KEY FUCKING UP CHARLIE’S BACKSTORY)

Spoilers, so be ready. Also, this one might be a little longer than my other ones, so just be aware.

This episode was both good and bad, at least for me. Let’s start off with all the bad and get that out of the way:

For starters, Bing’s sudden “I’m so high and moral, I’m so above Charlie, boo hoo he used me” narrative I swear... he’s so annoying. Gtfo with that shit Bing. You’re a rapist literal motherfucker. Charlie uses assholes like you for his benefit and kid’s benefit, then you die in the end, it’s what you deserve. I did love the nod to Dewey Hansom from the book and comic in this episode tho. Dewey was a rapist himself and if I remember correctly, he did stuff to kids, and Charlie made sure he got his in the end too. I guess this attitude Bing had did lead to his eventual downfall, but still... doesn’t mean it isn’t annoying lol.

A question I had, a friend on here had, and I’m sure we all had was: did Charlie get raped by Bing or... what? I mean, at the time, it was implied, based on what Bing said to him which was extremely creepy, but we didn’t know because his body got dragged away like nothing ever happened. Plus, it cut to what happened to him in his childhood around this time (my opinions on his childhood in a moment). The answer is: No, Charlie was not raped by Bing. He was about to be raped by him, but was not. Here is the screenshot from my friend who asked the writer of the episode:

So no, Charlie was not! Thank God... Of course, hitting him was not good, and what happened to him as a child was not good at all, but this would’ve made things a lot worse both writing wise and in regards to Charlie. Credit to @welcometochristmasland for asking the writer, thank you so much for clarifying this for everyone!

I’m especially relieved by this not just because I’m a Charlie fan girl, but this reason: Charlie getting raped AGAIN in his life, and especially by that fucker, would be so unneeded and stupid. There would be no point to that other than shock value filler. Not to mention, wouldn’t it make things extremely awkward between Vic and Charlie? Despite what’s happening with Wayne, I mean, she was almost raped by Bing herself, and if Charlie actually were in this scenario... that would be pretty awkward between the two, right? I know if I were Vic and I found out about that, I would feel pretty awkward, even if he had my kid, because rape is way too strong a punishment over this. We already know Bing is worse than Charlie, you wouldn’t have to show it through this, and thank God the show did not. I was gonna be real angry over that... of course, there is one thing that unexpectedly made me angry at this episode...

I don’t know what the writers’ problem is with Charlie’s backstory and the women in his life hurting him. They don’t make them saints, but they make them out to be like, “Oh, look at us, we love you and we point out your flaws, and you hurt us.” You know what Charlie’s mother and wife said to him all those years ago according to the comic book that reveals his backstory? They told him how much he drained them of their happiness and youth. No shit Charlie has such a distrust in women! He’s been told by his own mother and first wife, who he broke an arm and a leg for how much just to support the family, that he’s worthless. This leads him to snap! His mom wouldn’t have cared he was raped. She hated him. She told him, when he was forced to sleep in a coffin in the back of the inn and mortuary they lived in, that he belonged in one, so it served him right to sleep in one. Real loving mother of the year, am I right? Again, she still wasn’t a saint in the show, but Charlie going off at her like that was just... WHAT??? NO. And making Charlie groom other kids uknowingly while he’s groomed himself? I really don’t like this, and it’s even worse that Charlie gets more mad at his mom and not so much himself in this situation. He blames himself, but moreso blames his mom. Just... why?

In the comic, the guy who hurt Charlie as a kid was a random guy. He was kicked out of the inn and mortuary for hurting his mom while he was her customer. She points out that maybe a woman doesn’t satisfy him, and boy, is she right, because the fucker follows Charlie as he’s walking up a hill to play with his sled, and rapes Charlie. Charlie gets away, his abilities start to unlock just a bit once his head hits a tree, he kills the rapist, goes back into town, kills his mom, and kills one of the owners of the inn and mortuary (probably because he was trying to stop Charlie, and little boy Charlie has snapped). After this, Charlie leaves and ends up in Kansas. He has little no memory of this.

Now, did the episode show us his mom’s neglectful behavior by leaving her son midway through a little show he was doing to sleep around? Yes. Did they show his abilities unlock after his rape and him killing her? Yes. Did they show him get raped in the first place, and is it still horrible? Yes to both. And I think it was a good change in the show to make the man someone Charlie trusted instead of a random guy (its both equal in how horrible and wrong it is, but the fact it was someone he trusted is even more shocking, I think, but the good kind of shocking, not some cheap useless bullshit).

But similar to Charlie’s backstory with Cassie, the writers seemed to have skimmed through the comic and not understand the point: Not only does sexual assault as a child fuel Charlie’s trauma and pain, but so does the feelings of uselessness he felt from his mother hurting him and his wife hurting him. I get it, you want to make Charlie out to be the big bad, but he already is with the questionable ways he saves kids. His backstory is meant to be the place where you see his softer side, not see more of his bad. You see his softness, but then the show turns around and says, “ReMeMbEr, hE’s StIlL tHe BaD gUy.” We get it, writers! Now can you please stop making him unsympathetic? There is that side of him that people need to understand! That’s what makes his character so genius!

Slightly off topic, but I thought of something briefly: I can’t help but feel the show is maybe doing this not only because they really want to make it out like “Charlie’s so evil and if you like his sad backstory and understand him, you’re just wrong UWU), but maybe it’s also because they don’t want to talk about a male victim of abuse story. Of course, yes, they did it with him being raped as a child, and I’m glad that they still covered the topic of a male victim of sexual abuse, especially sexual child abuse. Showing how awful that is is important, and I think they handled that aspect well. However, Charlie is also a child abuse victim with his mother, and a domestic violence victim with his wife. Why wouldn’t they want to show a child abuse victim, and a domestic violence survivor (and a male one at that!) in a way that is important and well handled too? They didn’t make a PSA out of it, no, and they wouldn’t make PSAs out of the other things either, that’s not what I’m saying. But by showing these things in media, it’s important. It raises awareness of these issues that happen in our world, and who knows, it could help somebody find something to relate to. Think of the movie Kill Bill: the movie brings up people, especially women, getting raped in comas. It’s a problem, it happens to people, and Tarantino brought that up. It wasn’t in a PSA fashion, but he still showed you that something as awful as that could happen and does happen in our world. So what’s the problem, writers? Why couldn’t you explore these things with Charlie? Is it because he is a man, so exploring women hurting men is “wrong?”

Because let me tell you all: If Charles were Charlotte, and she were abused by her father and husband the same way as Charles was in the comic and book, I think the writers would praise this concept. “She has a distrust for men because of how much they hurt her in life! She’s a genius villain!” And don’t get me wrong: Charlotte would be. And men abusing women happens way more often than the other way around, it’s still absolutely wrong, and I would fully support Charlotte as a villain. I wouldn’t like her in that way as I do Charles because I’m straight, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t enjoy Charlotte Manx as a character and love her genius writing. But here comes Charles, a man abused by women... oh no! We can’t discuss that! Why not? What’s this double standard crap?

I’d like to reiterate that this is only a possible theory for why the writers made these choices, not an official reason. I’m not trying to accuse them of pulling a double standard, I’m just throwing that idea out there as a general, “is this why, because you’re not really giving a reason why.” And before anyone twists my words: Abuse of any kind, regardless of sexes involved, is wrong. I think female abuse stories should be told, and I think male abuse stories should be told, both in real life and in the fictional realm. I am a bit disappointed they did not do the full potential and exploration of Charlie’s very tragic backstory that they had in regards to his relationship with his mother and wife.

Now that I’ve let out my ranting, the positives of this episode:

Bing getting bird shit in his mouth in the beginning was hilarious. What happens to him in the end was fabulous. Charlie’s final words to him and how he left him to rot... oh how wonderful it was! And Charlie’s words to Bing throughout this whole episode were just... excellent. Obviously it was hard to watch him get beaten, but he had quite the guts to still try to trick him. His truthful words to Bing that made him stop when he was about to rape him, and his words to Bing after stabbing him were just... I think the best lines Charlie has said out of the whole series so far. His bad assery shines in this episode.

I find it fascinating how Charlie’s fears are outside of Christmasland and locked in that house. Despite all the nonsense with Cassie’s character I’ve discussed before and how she is not the abuser she is in the book and comic, and how important it is to discuss it and portray it, I do like Millie exploring herself. I suppose her mother does kinda have to be involved to help Millie explore herself, so I guess there is something good coming out of this, even if the take away is an aspect of Charlie being ruined and made less sympathetic when it should be.

Wayne and Craig’s interaction is really sweet, I’m glad he’s here and helping him. The comparison between Millie and her mom and Wayne and his dad is really good, I do like that. And Wayne saving Charlie, I was like HELL YES!!!! You’re doing good and you don’t even realize it, kid!

All in all: there was a part I was about to hate in this episode that was confirmed to not be there by the writer of it (Thank God), there was something I actually do hate about this episode, and then there are a few things I love about this episode. It was definitely interesting. You feel horrible for Charlie, you hate Bing even more, you feel glad he gets what he deserves, and the exploration with Millie and Wayne is good. If you’re like me and you really want Charlie’s backstory to be as it was in book form in regards to his relationship with his mother (and with his wife, quite a few episodes before) because it makes more sense, allows better exploration of concepts in our real world, and allows you to understand Charlie better, you won’t like his backstory entirely even as he was a kid. But if you can look past all that, there’s really no sour taste that will be left in your mouth, except for pity for Charlie (but most of us, if not all of us, feel that for him, that’s obvious, it’s horrible what happened to him).

Sorry this one was very long, thank you for reading till the end if you have! I hope you enjoyed it!

#charlie manx #nos4a2 charlie #nos4a2 #charles manx

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